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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: nail · bore · foot · bark · suit · pop · hide · present

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. present — there
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. present — a gift
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. pop — soda
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bore — to drill
  14. present — the time now
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. pop — music
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bore — to tire
  23. nail — on a finger
  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