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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: bark · key · bound · hand · bay · hide · bore · wind

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hand — help
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bound — certain
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. key — in music
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bound — tied together

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