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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bound — obliged
  4. lean — thin
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. track — a path
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bark — to shout
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bound — tied together
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bound — certain
  20. lean — to bend
  21. track — a song
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. cap — a lid

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