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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. face — to point toward
  5. stock — goods
  6. staff — employees
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bound — obliged
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. face — to confront
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. staff — a stick
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stock — shares
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bound — certain
  23. staff — employees
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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