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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. bound — obliged
  2. suit — in cards
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. row — to paddle
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. press — a publisher
  8. row — a line
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. suit — to fit
  11. press — to push
  12. bound — certain
  13. shower — rain
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bark — to shout
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. press — newspapers
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. suit — clothes
  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