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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cap · bore · trunk · bark · leaves · mate · saw · straw

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. cap — of ice
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bore — to tire
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bark — to shout
  11. mate — a partner
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bore — to drill
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. mate — to breed
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — a hat
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bark — of a tree

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