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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wound — an injury
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — to drill
  10. saw — the tool
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — the season
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. board — a committee
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — to get on
  19. bound — certain
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wound — an injury

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