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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bark · bound · fan · rest · cell · dip · date · suit

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. bark — to shout
  4. cell — in biology
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bound — certain
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. suit — clothes
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. suit — to fit
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. suit — in cards
  24. date — the fruit

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