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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 116 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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rock — music
  4. branch — a division
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bark — to shout
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — a stone
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bound — certain
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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