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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bore — to drill
  3. march — music
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bark — to shout
  10. kick — in football
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. march — the month
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. root — the cause
  16. march — the month
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bore — to tire

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