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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: bark · bore · roll · dip · bat · lie · mark · plane

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. mark — a trace
  5. lie — to recline
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. roll — a cake
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. mark — a grade
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bat — the animal
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. lie — an untruth

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