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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. tube — the underground
  4. last — finally
  5. toast — bread
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. last — to go on
  8. roll — a cake
  9. last — final
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bark — to shout
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. roll — a list
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. tube — a container

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