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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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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: present · mark · bore · bark · roll · sharp · snap · bass

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bass — low music
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — a list
  13. bass — the fish
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bore — to drill
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bore — to tire
  18. mark — a grade
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — the time now
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. snap — to click
  23. mark — a trace
  24. present — there

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