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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bore — to tire
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — bread
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bore — to drill
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bulb — for light
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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