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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 120 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bound — obliged
  3. drill — the tool
  4. suit — to fit
  5. drill — army training
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. land — ground
  10. bound — certain
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bark — to shout
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. land — a country
  16. foot — a measure
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bound — tied together
  22. land — to come down
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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