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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bound — certain
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. drill — a practice
  7. spell — letters
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. spell — magic
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. drill — army training
  14. bore — to tire
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bore — to drill
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bound — obliged
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bound — tied together
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bark — to shout
  24. lean — thin

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