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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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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: rush · cabinet · land · bore · bass · bat · mouse · bark

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. land — a country
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bat — the animal
  5. land — ground
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. land — to come down
  24. rush — a thrill

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