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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — to shout
  6. track — a song
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mug — a cup
  9. drill — a practice
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stand — to bear
  16. drill — army training
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mug — a face
  20. object — a thing
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. object — an aim
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. drill — the tool

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