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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 · racket · nail · wound · calf · content · tear · bark

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. bark — of a tree
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bore — to drill
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. content — the amount
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bark — to shout
  14. wound — an injury
  15. tear — from crying
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bore — to tire
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. content — happy
  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