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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. last — final
  7. stem — to come from
  8. object — a thing
  9. bark — to shout
  10. drill — army training
  11. spell — letters
  12. last — to go on
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. spell — a short time
  15. drill — a practice
  16. object — to protest
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. object — an aim
  20. chip — to eat
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. last — finally
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. spell — magic

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