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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: cabinet · stick · pound · pop · bore · hide · saw · bark

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pop — music
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bark — to shout
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pop — soda
  22. bore — to tire
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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