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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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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: fall · bore · snap · wind · rock · bark · suit · ruler

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. suit — clothes
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. fall — to drop
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wind — moving air
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wind — moving air
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bore — to tire
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rock — music
  15. snap — to click
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. fall — the season
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rock — a stone
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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