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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: cap · bulb · rash · straw · staff · bowl · bore · bark

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rash — a series
  11. cap — of ice
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. staff — employees
  15. cap — a hat
  16. staff — employees
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. straw — dry grass

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