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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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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 · lean · rock · fine · bark · bore · wound · saw

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. lean — thin
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. wound — an injury
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bore — to tire
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bore — to drill
  10. fine — high quality
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bark — to shout
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — of ice
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. cap — a hat
  21. fine — all right
  22. rock — music
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. wound — an injury

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