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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bound — obliged
  5. branch — a division
  6. hand — help
  7. mark — a grade
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bark — to shout
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. suit — in cards
  14. drill — army training
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bound — certain
  19. hand — in cards
  20. drill — the tool
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. suit — to fit
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. drill — a practice

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