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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 124 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. snap — to click
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bark — to shout
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. toast — bread
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. saw — the tool
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — to drill
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. drill — a practice
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. nail — for a hammer

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