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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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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: pit · trunk · stand · bark · bore · bulb · bay · rest

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rest — what's left
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bore — to tire
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bore — to drill
  19. rest — a break
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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