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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 120 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: object · bark · squash · rock · bore · bulb · land · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — in cards
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. bulb — for light
  9. land — ground
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. land — a country
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. land — to come down
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. object — an aim
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bulb — for light
  21. squash — to crush
  22. rock — music
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bark — to shout

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