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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 116 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. charge — in control
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. charge — a price
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bark — to shout
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. charge — electricity
  20. lie — to recline
  21. kick — in football
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bore — to drill
  24. fan — to cool the air

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