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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: spell · drill · trunk · bore · bark · safe · nail · staff

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. staff — employees
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bark — to shout
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bore — to tire
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. spell — letters
  16. staff — a stick
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. spell — magic
  19. drill — army training
  20. staff — employees
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. drill — the tool
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bore — to drill

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