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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: hide · bore · bound · spring · jam · rash · bass · bark

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  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. bore — to drill
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bass — the fish
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bound — certain
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — low music
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rash — a series
  19. spring — the season
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bound — tied together
  22. spring — of water
  23. bound — obliged
  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