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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 112 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · bark · wound · net · mouse · bore

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bore — to drill
  8. net — for catching
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. net — after costs
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bore — gave birth

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