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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. drill — army training
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bark — to shout
  10. rest — a break
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rest — what's left
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rest — what's left
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. chest — of your body
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. chest — a box

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