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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. cap — a lid
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. drill — the tool
  9. rash — a series
  10. present — there
  11. cap — of ice
  12. shower — rain
  13. rash — hasty
  14. spell — letters
  15. foot — a measure
  16. drill — a practice
  17. present — the time now
  18. drill — army training
  19. present — a gift
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. shower — to wash
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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