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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bark — to shout
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. last — final
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. last — to go on
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. last — finally
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bark — of a tree

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