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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bore — to drill
  6. clip — a video
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pop — soda
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bank — for money
  12. bark — to shout
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bank — for money
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bank — of a river
  17. land — ground
  18. land — a country
  19. land — to come down
  20. rest — a break
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bark — of a tree

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