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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 120 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bore — to tire
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. firm — a company
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. firm — decided
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bark — to shout
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. hand — help
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. firm — steady
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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