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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bear — the animal
  3. drill — army training
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. drill — a practice
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. drill — the tool
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bound — certain
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. fine — all right
  18. bark — to shout
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. staff — a stick
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bark — of a tree

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