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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chest · bark · bound · pass · temple · bore · squash · suit

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bore — to drill
  3. pass — a permit
  4. chest — of your body
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bound — obliged
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bound — tied together
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bound — certain
  22. squash — the sport
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bore — gave birth

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