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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: straw · drill · last · suit · sharp · jam · dip · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. last — to go on
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. suit — in cards
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. last — final
  14. drill — a practice
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. drill — army training
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. last — finally
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. suit — to fit
  23. drill — the tool
  24. straw — dry grass

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