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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. drill — the tool
  3. current — electric
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. current — of water
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. key — the most important part
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — army training
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. net — for catching
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. current — happening now
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. key — in music

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