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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: scale · lash · mine · spell · cell · bore · bark · pass

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. spell — magic
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. scale — in music
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. scale — size or range
  10. spell — a short time
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bore — to drill
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pass — a permit
  23. spell — letters
  24. cell — in biology

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