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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pitch — completely
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bark — to shout
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bore — to drill
  16. cell — a phone
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. snap — to click
  22. rock — music
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. rock — a stone

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