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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. tube — a container
  3. land — a country
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. land — ground
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. vault — a safe
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bear — the animal
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. tube — the underground
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bore — to tire
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bark — to shout
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mate — a partner
  24. land — to come down

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