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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: dip · board · leaves · bore · bulb · bark · roll · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. board — a committee
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bore — to tire
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. roll — a list
  15. dip — to sink
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. roll — a cake
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bore — to drill
  23. board — to get on
  24. dip — to dunk

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