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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rest — a break
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. tube — the underground
  7. chest — of your body
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bore — to tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rest — what's left
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bore — to drill
  21. chest — a box
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. ruler — for measuring

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