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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. bore — to drill
  7. charge — in control
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. cold — an illness
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bore — to tire
  12. cold — not warm
  13. pop — soda
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. rock — music
  17. pop — music
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. charge — a price
  24. pop — to visit

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