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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · stock · bear · rest · bore · bark · drill · mate

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. stock — goods
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — a friend
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. drill — army training
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bark — to shout
  20. mine — for digging
  21. drill — the tool
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bore — to drill

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