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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bark — to shout
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. fine — high quality
  7. chair — a leader
  8. suit — clothes
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. clip — a video
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. drill — army training
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. clip — to cut
  19. bound — certain
  20. fine — all right
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bay — a horse colour

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