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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: fan · bark · lie · rush · club · bore · object · present

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. object — a thing
  3. club — for dancing
  4. present — a gift
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bore — to tire
  8. present — there
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rush — hurry
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. lie — to recline
  17. present — the time now
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. object — an aim
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. object — to protest

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