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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: bore · mouse · staff · kick · bark · band · coach · jam

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. staff — employees
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bore — to drill
  8. band — a music group
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. staff — employees
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bark — to shout
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. staff — a stick
  17. band — a ring
  18. bore — to tire
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. kick — in football
  24. coach — a trainer

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