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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mark — a trace
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. staff — employees
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bark — to shout
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. staff — a stick
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. staff — employees

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