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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bark — to shout
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. cue — for pool
  7. lie — to recline
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bound — certain
  10. fine — all right
  11. bound — tied together
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — high quality
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fork — in a road
  24. tear — to rip

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