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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.

Make a worksheet

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: tube · drill · roll · object · bark · chair · lash · fine

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. fine — all right
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. roll — a cake
  6. tube — the underground
  7. chair — a leader
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — to shout
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. object — to protest
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. roll — a list
  17. object — a thing
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. drill — army training
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. tube — a container
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. drill — the tool
  24. object — an aim

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