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

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bore — to drill
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bark — to shout
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bore — to tire
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rock — a stone
  15. sharp — clever
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. tube — the underground
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rock — music
  23. tube — a container
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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