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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bark — to shout
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mark — a trace
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. march — the month
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. mark — a grade
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. march — music
  22. bound — certain
  23. march — the month
  24. date — the fruit

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