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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. file — a tool
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mine — for digging
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. file — a line of people
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bark — to shout
  21. file — a document
  22. bound — certain
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bound — obliged

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