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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bore — to drill
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bore — to tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mark — a grade
  16. tube — a container
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rock — music
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. tear — from crying

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