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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 116 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: can · kick · ground · present · bark · bay · bore · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. tear — from crying
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. ground — crushed
  6. present — the time now
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bark — to shout
  11. present — a gift
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bore — to tire
  16. ground — a position
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. kick — in football
  20. present — there
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. ground — the earth
  23. can — a tin
  24. tear — from crying

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