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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 120 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — music
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. tube — a container
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. firm — steady
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pop — soda
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bark — to shout
  18. firm — a company
  19. rash — hasty
  20. firm — decided
  21. bore — to drill
  22. suit — in cards
  23. shower — rain
  24. rash — a series

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