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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. drill — the tool
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bark — to shout
  5. drill — army training
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. rash — a series
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. tear — from crying
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. board — to get on
  14. rash — hasty
  15. squash — the sport
  16. content — happy
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. tear — to rip
  22. drill — a practice
  23. board — a committee
  24. content — the amount

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