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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. bound — obliged
  3. spring — the season
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. ball — a great time
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a grade
  15. can — a tin
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. ball — a dance
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. can — a tin
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — of water
  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