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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bound — obliged
  4. rest — what's left
  5. spell — a short time
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bound — tied together
  11. rest — a break
  12. spell — magic
  13. rock — music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bound — certain
  19. face — to confront
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bark — to shout
  24. spell — letters

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