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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. sharp — clever
  3. suit — in cards
  4. spring — of water
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bank — for money
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bank — for money
  16. spring — the season
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bank — of a river
  19. kick — in football
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. kick — with a leg

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