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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
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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: content · patient · hide · bark · rule · bore · object · safe

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. object — to protest
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. object — an aim
  18. bore — to drill
  19. rule — government
  20. object — a thing
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bark — to shout
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rule — to rule out

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