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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.

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: shower · bark · bore · ball · bay · mouse · fall · spell

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. spell — magic
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bark — to shout
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bore — to drill
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. fall — the season
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. shower — to wash
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. shower — rain
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. ball — a great time

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