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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bank — for money
  5. kick — in football
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cold — not warm
  9. perch — the fish
  10. content — the amount
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bound — obliged
  16. content — happy
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bark — to shout
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. bank — for money
  22. bound — certain
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. kick — with a leg

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