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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 116 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: chip · straw · race · bulb · bore · mate · bark · bowl

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bore — to drill
  8. race — the arms race
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. chip — for betting
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. race — humankind
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. race — a contest

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