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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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. cabinet — ministers
  4. bound — obliged
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bore — to drill
  7. root — of a word
  8. bound — tied together
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. bore — to tire
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. root — the cause
  21. bound — certain
  22. ground — a position
  23. bark — to shout
  24. craft — a handicraft

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