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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: dip · hide · object · fan · bark · net · bore · trunk

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bore — to drill
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. net — in sport
  8. object — an aim
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bark — to shout
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. net — for catching
  16. object — to protest
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. object — a thing
  19. net — after costs
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. dip — to dunk

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