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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bound — certain
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. drill — army training
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bank — for money
  7. bound — obliged
  8. drill — the tool
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bank — of a river
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wax — to grow
  15. tube — a container
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bound — tied together
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com