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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bark — to shout
  3. fall — the season
  4. staff — employees
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. staff — employees
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — steady
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. firm — decided
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. spell — letters
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. race — a contest
  21. fall — to drop
  22. spell — magic
  23. race — humankind
  24. staff — a stick

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