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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ground — a position
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. board — to get on
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. spell — magic
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. spell — a short time
  15. board — a committee
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. ground — crushed
  19. lean — to bend
  20. spell — letters
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lean — thin
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. arm — part of the body

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