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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. key — the most important part
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rest — a break
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bore — to drill
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. march — the month
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bear — the animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. march — music
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. march — the month
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. prune — to trim
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bear — the animal
  24. key — in music

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