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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. drill — army training
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. key — the most important part
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. squash — to crush
  14. plane — a tool
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. last — to go on
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. squash — the sport
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

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