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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. object — to protest
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. last — finally
  6. object — an aim
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pit — in a race
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mark — a grade
  14. last — to go on
  15. object — a thing
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bark — to shout
  18. last — final
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bound — obliged
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pit — a hole
  24. wave — with your hand

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