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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 116 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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rash — a series
  4. object — an aim
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bore — to tire
  9. capital — money
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. object — to protest
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. object — a thing
  15. bore — to drill
  16. capital — a city
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rock — music
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. rock — a stone
  23. plane — a tool
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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