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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: wake · cabinet · spell · content · bore · arm · drill · bark

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bore — to drill
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bark — to shout
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. content — the amount
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. drill — army training
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. content — happy
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. spell — letters
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wake — a trail
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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