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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bear — the animal
  6. spell — magic
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — to shout
  10. drill — the tool
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. drill — army training
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. can — a tin
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. spell — a short time
  22. can — a tin
  23. spell — letters
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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