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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. season — in sport
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mug — a cup
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mug — a face
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. game — wild animals
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. game — a match
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wound — an injury
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wake — before a funeral

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