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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. face — part of the head
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. object — an aim
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. face — to point toward
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. drill — the tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bark — to shout
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. ground — crushed
  16. drill — army training
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. face — to confront
  21. object — to protest
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — a position

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