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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 120 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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bark — to shout
  8. fine — all right
  9. last — finally
  10. last — final
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — high quality
  13. stock — goods
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. stock — shares
  19. bound — obliged
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bound — certain
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. last — to go on

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