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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bound — certain
  4. lie — to recline
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — a coil
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bound — tied together
  12. season — of the year
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. board — to get on
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. season — in sport
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. spring — the season
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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