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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: bore · fine · arm · trunk · bark · wave · mine · lean

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. fine — all right
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. lean — to bend
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bore — to tire
  11. mine — for digging
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. lean — thin
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bore — to drill
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. mine — belonging to me

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