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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 124 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. object — an aim
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. file — a line of people
  5. tear — to rip
  6. object — to protest
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. net — after costs
  10. tear — from crying
  11. net — in sport
  12. tear — from crying
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. suit — to fit
  16. object — a thing
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — the tool
  20. season — in sport
  21. suit — in cards
  22. season — of the year
  23. net — for catching
  24. bark — to shout

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