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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · ground · bark · bank · object · drill · pitcher · rest

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. ground — the earth
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bank — for money
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. object — a thing
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bark — to shout
  15. object — to protest
  16. ground — crushed
  17. drill — army training
  18. bank — for money
  19. ground — a position
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. drill — the tool
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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