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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. file — a line of people
  7. land — to come down
  8. fine — all right
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. file — a tool
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bear — the animal
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bark — to shout
  19. file — a document
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mouse — for a computer

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