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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bore — to tire
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. mark — a grade
  7. root — of a word
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bark — to shout
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. root — the cause
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. mark — a trace
  20. roll — a list
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — child
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bore — to drill

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