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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 · date · lie · bowl · chest · can · trunk · bark

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. can — a tin
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. chest — of your body
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. lie — to recline
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bore — to drill
  24. can — a tin

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