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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — army training
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. net — for catching
  9. bore — to drill
  10. ball — a dance
  11. net — after costs
  12. current — electric
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. current — of water
  19. current — happening now
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bark — to shout
  22. pound — a weight
  23. net — in sport
  24. ball — a great 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