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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: tear · bark · pass · spring · suit · bound · sharp · pop

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bound — obliged
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. spring — the season
  6. suit — clothes
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. tear — to rip
  10. pop — soda
  11. bound — certain
  12. pop — music
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bark — to shout
  15. spring — a coil
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pop — to visit
  18. spring — of water
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bound — tied together
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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