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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 116 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rule — a law
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bark — to shout
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bound — certain
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. fine — all right
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rule — government
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bound — tied together
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. wax — to grow
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. face — to confront

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