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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bound — certain
  3. degree — an amount
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bore — to drill
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. spring — the season
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bound — obliged
  19. degree — from a university
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — to bend
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. spring — of water
  24. lean — thin

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