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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. content — happy
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bore — to tire
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. content — the amount
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. stem — to come from

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