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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss 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. stand — for spectators
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bound — tied together
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bore — to tire
  7. spring — of water
  8. lean — thin
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bark — to shout
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. row — a line
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bound — certain
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bound — obliged
  21. lean — to bend
  22. spring — the season
  23. row — a quarrel
  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