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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.

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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: bore · capital · mouse · leaves · fine · bark · tear · snap

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. capital — a city
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. capital — money
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. tear — from crying
  23. snap — to click
  24. bore — to tire

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