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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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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. shower — rain
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bore — to drill
  5. lean — thin
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. content — happy
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. shower — to wash
  10. clip — a video
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. content — the amount
  15. clip — for paper
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bulb — for light
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bore — to tire
  22. deal — to handle
  23. clip — to cut
  24. lean — to bend

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