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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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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: lie · drill · stem · bore · mark · bark · wake · chest

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bore — to tire
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mark — a grade
  6. drill — a practice
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bark — to shout
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. wake — a trail
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. mark — a trace
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bark — of a tree

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