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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bark — to shout
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bound — tied together
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. game — a match
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. fork — in a road
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bound — certain
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. row — a line

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