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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bore — to drill
  5. season — of the year
  6. mate — a friend
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bore — to tire
  9. prune — to trim
  10. season — in sport
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. prune — to trim
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. kick — in football
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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