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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 120 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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wake — a trail
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. drill — the tool
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. drill — a practice
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. saw — the tool
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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