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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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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: drill · can · dip · bark · bore · bound · chip · rash

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. rash — a series
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. drill — a practice
  8. dip — to sink
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. drill — army training
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. can — to be able to
  18. chip — for betting
  19. can — a tin
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. can — a tin
  24. drill — the tool

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