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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · bear · drill · present · bore · bark

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rule — a law
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. drill — army training
  7. present — there
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. present — a gift
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bark — to shout
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bear — the animal
  14. drill — a practice
  15. rule — government
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. present — the time now

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