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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bound — obliged
  5. roll — a list
  6. fall — the season
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bank — for money
  15. spell — a short time
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bound — certain
  19. roll — a cake
  20. mate — to breed
  21. spell — letters
  22. bark — to shout
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. spell — magic

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