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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: capital · nail · face · last · bark · bore · rock · bulb

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. capital — money
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. last — finally
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rock — music
  16. last — to go on
  17. capital — a city
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. face — to confront
  21. bark — to shout
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. last — final
  24. nail — for a hammer

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