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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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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: race · bark · nail · foot · snap · bore · bowl · coach

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. race — humankind
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. race — a contest
  20. bark — to shout
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. snap — to click
  23. bore — to tire
  24. coach — a trainer

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