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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.

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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: race · chest · patient · bark · bay · drill · object · roll

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. roll — a list
  3. drill — a practice
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. chest — a box
  6. drill — army training
  7. object — an aim
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. race — the arms race
  14. roll — a cake
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. object — a thing
  18. chest — of your body
  19. object — to protest
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. race — humankind
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. race — a contest

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