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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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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: lash · roll · rock · nail · mouse · bark · bore · pitcher

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. 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. rock — music
  2. roll — a cake
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rock — a stone
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bark — to shout
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. roll — a list
  23. bore — to tire
  24. 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