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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: rule · season · bark · bore · bound · chest · mug · cabinet

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bore — to tire
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mug — a cup
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chest — a box
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mug — a face
  15. rule — government
  16. bound — obliged
  17. season — in sport
  18. bark — to shout
  19. rule — a law
  20. bound — certain
  21. mug — to rob
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bark — of a tree

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