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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. row — a line
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. object — an aim
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bass — low music
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bore — to drill
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wound — an injury
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — to protest
  20. wound — an injury
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. fork — a garden tool

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