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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.

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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. roll — a list
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pass — a permit
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bore — to tire
  19. prune — to trim
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. pass — to spend time

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