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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: ruler · bound · bore · stand · wake · bark · chip · snap

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bore — to drill
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. stand — to bear
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bound — obliged
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. snap — to click
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bound — certain
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wake — a trail

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