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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. current — happening now
  7. bark — to shout
  8. current — of water
  9. shower — to wash
  10. cue — a signal
  11. drill — army training
  12. bank — for money
  13. cue — a hint
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. current — electric
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. cue — for pool
  20. shower — rain
  21. bank — for money
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bank — of a river
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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