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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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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: kid · pass · safe · cold · lean · stick · bark · bore

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bark — to shout
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lean — to bend
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. lean — thin
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bore — to drill
  11. cold — not warm
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. cold — an illness
  15. pass — a permit
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bore — to tire
  24. kid — child

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