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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · season · fall · bark · bay · row · bound · ruler

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. season — of the year
  5. bark — to shout
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. season — in sport
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bound — certain
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. fall — the season
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. row — a line

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