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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. staff — employees
  4. drill — a practice
  5. tear — from crying
  6. staff — employees
  7. bound — obliged
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bark — to shout
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. snap — to click
  16. drill — army training
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. tear — from crying
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. drill — the tool
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. wave — with your hand

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