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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. craft — boats
  10. board — to get on
  11. dip — to sink
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. prune — to trim
  17. board — a committee
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. prune — to trim
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. trunk — of a tree

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