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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. kid — child
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fork — in a road
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bore — to drill
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. fork — a garden tool

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