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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bore — to tire
  3. file — a tool
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bore — to drill
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. face — to point toward
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. file — a document
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bark — to shout
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. face — to confront
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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