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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. key — in music
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. hand — in cards
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cap — of ice
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bark — to shout
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bore — to tire
  15. deal — to handle
  16. hand — help
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. key — for a lock
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. cap — a lid
  24. deal — a big deal

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