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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. drill — army training
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wake — a trail
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bark — to shout
  11. tear — from crying
  12. drill — the tool
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. suit — in cards
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. tear — to rip
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. drill — a practice
  24. fall — to drop

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