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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.

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: object · spring · mate · bound · bark · chair · shower · bay

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bound — certain
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bound — tied together
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mate — a friend
  9. object — a thing
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bound — obliged
  14. object — to protest
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. spring — of water
  17. mate — a partner
  18. object — an aim
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. spring — the season
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. shower — rain

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