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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: leaves · wind · ball · bark · bore · stock · content · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bore — to drill
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bark — to shout
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. ball — a great time
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. content — happy
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. content — the amount
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wind — moving air

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