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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. suit — in cards
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. suit — to fit
  9. fall — to drop
  10. drill — a practice
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cap — of ice
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bark — to shout
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cap — a hat
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. suit — clothes

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