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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: rule · bark · ground · bay · coach · bore · lie · last

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rule — government
  5. last — final
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. lie — to recline
  8. ground — the earth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bore — to drill
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. last — to go on
  16. rule — a law
  17. bark — to shout
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bore — to tire
  23. last — finally
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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