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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.

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: drill · toast · spell · leaves · bark · spring · plane · race

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bark — to shout
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. drill — a practice
  7. spring — the season
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. spring — of water
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. toast — bread
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — a contest
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. spell — letters
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. spell — magic
  21. plane — a tool
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. spring — a coil
  24. drill — army training

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