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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. object — an aim
  3. face — to confront
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cap — of ice
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bound — certain
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. object — to protest
  13. bark — to shout
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pop — music
  20. cap — a hat
  21. face — to point toward
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. object — a thing
  24. stand — to bear

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