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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.

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: bark · spring · club · board · rash · safe · chest · bore

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. spring — a coil
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rash — a series
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bore — to tire
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bore — to drill
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. club — for golf
  16. rash — hasty
  17. club — a group
  18. spring — the season
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. club — for dancing
  21. spring — of water
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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