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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: bore · spring · shower · pitcher · rash · rush · key · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. key — for a lock
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. spring — of water
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rash — a series
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. shower — rain
  11. key — in music
  12. spring — the season
  13. rash — hasty
  14. shower — to wash
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bark — to shout
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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