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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bound — certain
  6. rest — a break
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rest — what's left
  10. snap — to click
  11. hand — in cards
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rock — music
  14. hand — help
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — a weight
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fine — all right
  21. bound — obliged
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. rock — a stone
  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