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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mug — to rob
  4. drill — army training
  5. band — a ring
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. object — to protest
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mug — a face
  10. object — an aim
  11. band — a music group
  12. mug — a cup
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. object — a thing
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bark — to shout
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. kid — child
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. fan — a supporter

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