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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: swing · lie · pound · saw · bore · track · bark · rest

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. saw — the tool
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. pound — a weight
  6. track — a path
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bark — to shout
  13. rest — a break
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bore — to drill
  22. track — a song
  23. pound — for dogs
  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