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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: object · bore · fan · wound · row · club · bark · stand

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. club — a group
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — a line
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. wound — an injury
  9. object — an aim
  10. bore — to drill
  11. club — for golf
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bore — to tire
  17. club — for dancing
  18. object — a thing
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. row — to paddle
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. object — to protest
  24. fan — a supporter

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