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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bark — to shout
  4. last — final
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. suit — clothes
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bore — to tire
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — in cards
  14. fall — the season
  15. pass — a permit
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. fall — to drop
  18. last — finally
  19. last — to go on
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bore — to drill

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