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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. bore — to drill
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. file — a tool
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. march — the month
  21. bore — to tire
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a document
  24. sharp — exactly

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