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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink

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