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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bark — to shout
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bound — tied together
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bore — to tire
  15. root — the cause
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mate — a friend
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — obliged

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