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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. staff — a stick
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. staff — employees
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bark — to shout
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bore — to drill
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. staff — employees
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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