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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. drill — a practice
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. date — the fruit
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. drill — the tool
  24. wave — of the sea

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