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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 116 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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. drill — army training
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. squash — to crush
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. squash — the sport
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. drill — the tool
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bore — to drill
  18. drill — a practice
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bore — to tire
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lie — to recline
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. rest — a break

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