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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. object — a thing
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bound — obliged
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bark — to shout
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bear — the animal
  10. object — an aim
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stock — shares
  16. object — to protest
  17. swing — music
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. stock — goods
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bound — certain
  23. chest — a box
  24. swing — to play 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