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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 120 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
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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: saw · band · bark · kid · bore · leaves · root · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bore — to drill
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. kid — to tease
  9. band — a music group
  10. mug — a face
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. root — the cause
  15. bore — to tire
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. band — a ring
  19. root — of a word
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. kid — child
  23. root — of a plant
  24. mug — to rob

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