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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: kick · sharp · bore · bark · hide · leaves · pound · season

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. season — of the year
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bore — to drill
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. kick — in football
  8. bore — to tire
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — to shout
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pound — a weight
  23. season — in sport
  24. leaves — to go away

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