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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.

Make a worksheet

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: can · stick · bark · bore · land · hand · mouse · rest

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. can — a tin
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. land — a country
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. land — to come down
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. can — to be able to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. land — ground
  14. hand — help
  15. bark — to shout
  16. can — a tin
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rest — what's left

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