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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — all right
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. board — to get on
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. snap — to click
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — child
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. board — a committee
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bore — to tire
  24. fine — high quality

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