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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bound — obliged
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wound — an injury
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bank — for money
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bank — for money
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bank — of a river
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bound — tied together
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bound — certain

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