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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rash — a series
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ground — crushed
  12. chip — to eat
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. tube — a container
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. chip — for betting
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rash — hasty
  24. ground — a position

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