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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 120 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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. firm — decided
  3. squash — the sport
  4. firm — a company
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — to protest
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. firm — steady
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. object — a thing
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. squash — to crush
  17. clip — a video
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — the tool
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. drill — a practice
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — to cut

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