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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.

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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: ruler · bore · march · prune · bay · hide · bark · race

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. bark — to shout
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. march — the month
  5. race — the arms race
  6. march — the month
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. race — a contest
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bore — to drill
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. prune — to trim
  17. march — music
  18. race — humankind
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bore — to tire
  23. hide — animal skin
  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