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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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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: pop · trunk · drill · squash · bark · bore · net · plane

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. net — for catching
  6. bore — to tire
  7. drill — the tool
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. squash — the sport
  11. drill — a practice
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. squash — to crush
  16. pop — soda
  17. drill — army training
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bore — to drill

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