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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bass — the fish
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bass — low music
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bark — to shout
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bore — to tire
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to click
  19. wind — moving air
  20. roll — a list
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bore — to drill

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