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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: kid · bore · saw · fan · bank · band · ground · bark

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bore — to tire
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bark — to shout
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bore — to drill
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bank — for money
  16. band — a ring
  17. kid — child
  18. ground — a position
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. band — a music group
  23. ground — crushed
  24. kid — to tease

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