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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. current — happening now
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bore — to tire
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. snap — to click
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. current — electric
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bark — to shout
  14. kid — to tease
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. kid — child
  18. hand — help
  19. current — of water
  20. lean — thin
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — in cards
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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