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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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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: can · bound · last · bark · ruler · board · patient · spring

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bound — obliged
  3. board — a committee
  4. bound — certain
  5. spring — the season
  6. last — finally
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. can — to be able to
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bark — to shout
  12. spring — a coil
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. can — a tin
  17. last — to go on
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. spring — of water
  20. bound — tied together
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. last — final
  23. board — to get on
  24. patient — a sick person

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