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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. drill — army training
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bark — to shout
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bear — the animal
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. saw — the tool
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. roll — a list
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. drill — a practice

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