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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: rock · season · bark · safe · bore · present · wave · leaves

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bark — to shout
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. season — of the year
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. present — a gift
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. present — there
  22. season — in sport
  23. present — the time now
  24. wave — with your hand

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