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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. row — a line
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. fine — all right
  11. row — to paddle
  12. fine — high quality
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bore — to tire
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a dance
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mate — to breed
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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