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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.

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: coach · bore · staff · rest · fork · rash · hand · bark

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. hand — in cards
  3. rest — what's left
  4. staff — employees
  5. bark — to shout
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rest — a break
  9. bore — to drill
  10. hand — help
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. rash — a series
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bore — to tire
  24. staff — employees

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