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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.

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: stick · shower · key · bore · bark · staff · saw · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. shower — rain
  3. key — the most important part
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. shower — to wash
  10. staff — employees
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. key — in music
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. staff — employees
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bark — to shout
  21. staff — a stick
  22. lie — to recline
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bore — to tire

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