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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. spring — a coil
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. spring — of water
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bark — to shout
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. drill — the tool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bound — certain
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bound — obliged
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. drill — army training
  17. spring — the season
  18. saw — the tool
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. saw — the tool
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. drill — a practice
  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