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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bank — for money
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mark — a trace
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bark — to shout
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bank — for money
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — a weight
  22. drill — army training
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bank — of a river

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