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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 120 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: snap · dip · coach · ball · bore · hide · sharp · bark

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bore — to tire
  11. dip — to sink
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bark — to shout
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. sharp — clever
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. ball — a great time
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. sharp — exactly

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