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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. kick — in football
  3. fall — to drop
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. march — the month
  8. firm — steady
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bank — of a river
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a list
  13. firm — decided
  14. bark — to shout
  15. march — the month
  16. firm — a company
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bank — for money
  19. fall — the season
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. march — music
  22. bank — for money
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. fall — to drop

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