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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. can — a tin
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bark — to shout
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. tear — to rip
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. can — to be able to

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