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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bore · sharp · temple · bark · wound · kick · mug · chair

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. mug — a cup
  5. sharp — clever
  6. mug — to rob
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bore — to tire
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bark — to shout
  15. mug — a face
  16. wound — an injury
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. chair — a leader
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. kick — in football
  23. bark — of a tree
  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