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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bound — certain
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bat — in an idiom

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