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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — a practice
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a committee
  5. drill — the tool
  6. root — of a word
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. kid — to tease
  14. spring — of water
  15. dip — to sink
  16. root — the cause
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bark — to shout
  19. spring — a coil
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. spring — the season

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