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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 116 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. fine — high quality
  4. mine — for digging
  5. race — the arms race
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rest — what's left
  11. race — a contest
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bore — to drill
  14. race — humankind
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fine — all right
  18. pop — soda
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pop — 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