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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 116 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: bay · bark · saw · wound · lean · bound · kick · rule

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. wound — an injury
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rule — government
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bound — certain
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. rule — a law
  19. bound — tied together
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bark — to shout
  24. lean — thin

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