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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: bore · bark · bass · mine · nail · key · coach · lash

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bore — to drill
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. key — for a lock
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bass — the fish
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. key — in music
  21. mine — for digging
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. key — the most important part
  24. nail — on a finger

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