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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: jam · ground · wound · bark · bore · pit · lie · row

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wound — an injury
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. ground — the earth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. row — a line
  10. bark — to shout
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. pit — a hole
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bore — to drill
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. row — to paddle
  19. ground — a position
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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