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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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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: pound · rash · snap · saw · present · drill · bark · bulb

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rash — a series
  3. drill — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. snap — to click
  7. pound — a weight
  8. drill — army training
  9. bark — to shout
  10. drill — a practice
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. rash — hasty
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. present — a gift

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