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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: temple · pass · spring · present · bound · bore · bark · nail

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. spring — the season
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. spring — of water
  11. present — a gift
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — tied together
  14. spring — a coil
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bore — to tire
  17. present — the time now
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. present — there

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