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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 120 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bark — to shout
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. suit — clothes
  8. firm — a company
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. firm — steady
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. suit — in cards
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bore — to tire
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bore — to drill
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. firm — decided
  21. suit — to fit
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. temple — side of the head

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