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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. drill — army training
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. saw — the tool
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bark — to shout
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. drill — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. saw — the tool
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. drill — a practice
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. dip — to sink

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