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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bore — to tire
  4. prune — to trim
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. band — a ring
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bore — to drill
  14. vault — a safe
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. prune — to trim
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. snap — to click
  23. band — a music group
  24. hide — to keep secret

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