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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 116 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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bound — certain
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bank — for money
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bank — for money
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bound — obliged
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rest — a break
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bark — of a tree

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