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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: lash · wake · bark · spell · trunk · nail · firm · bore

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bark — to shout
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bore — to tire
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. firm — a company
  16. spell — magic
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. firm — steady
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. spell — letters
  21. wake — a trail
  22. firm — decided
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bark — of a tree

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