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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. fall — the season
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. spell — a short time
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — rain
  12. spell — letters
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. cap — a lid
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. spell — magic
  23. stand — to bear
  24. fall — to drop

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