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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — the tool
  4. game — a match
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bark — to shout
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. land — to come down
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. squash — to crush
  13. land — a country
  14. tear — from crying
  15. can — to be able to
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — the sport
  18. foot — a measure
  19. game — wild animals
  20. drill — army training
  21. tear — from crying
  22. land — ground
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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