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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: bark · cell · shower · dip · drill · toast · safe · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. dip — to sink
  3. drill — a practice
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. cell — a phone
  8. shower — to wash
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. shower — rain
  11. toast — bread
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bark — to shout
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. drill — army training
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bound — certain
  21. drill — the tool
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. dip — a sauce

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