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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. suit — in cards
  8. content — the amount
  9. saw — the tool
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bore — to tire
  15. content — happy
  16. suit — clothes
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. saw — the tool
  21. squash — to crush
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bore — to drill
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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