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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.

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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: bore · present · dip · bark · mate · chair · mouse · kick

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mate — to breed
  4. kick — in football
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. present — the time now
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mate — a friend
  13. present — a gift
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bark — to shout
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. present — there
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bore — to drill
  24. kick — a thrill

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