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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. charge — a price
  4. track — a song
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. track — a path
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bore — to tire
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. lie — to recline
  13. cold — not warm
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cold — an illness
  18. wake — a trail
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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