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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: bound · rush · date · spell · dip · bark · mug · chair

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mug — to rob
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bound — certain
  8. mug — a face
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bound — tied together
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. date — the fruit
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. chair — a leader

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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