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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. roll — a list
  3. clip — to cut
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. drill — a practice
  6. stock — shares
  7. clip — a video
  8. stock — goods
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. drill — the tool
  11. lean — to bend
  12. clip — for paper
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lean — thin

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