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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: mark · saw · race · pop · bay · bark · lean · drill

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. lean — thin
  3. pop — music
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. saw — the tool
  6. race — the arms race
  7. pop — soda
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mark — a grade
  11. drill — a practice
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. pop — to visit
  15. drill — army training
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. race — a contest
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. race — humankind
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. drill — the tool

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