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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 120 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: rock · cap · bark · bore · wound · stick · rest · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. cap — of ice
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rock — music
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. cap — a hat
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rock — a stone
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bark — to shout
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bore — to drill
  23. rest — a break
  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