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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 120 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: bark · object · rush · lash · kid · craft · drill · content

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. drill — army training
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. object — an aim
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. kid — child
  7. rush — hurry
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. object — a thing
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. content — happy
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bark — to shout
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. content — the amount
  18. craft — boats
  19. kid — to tease
  20. craft — a skill
  21. drill — the tool
  22. object — to protest
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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