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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. track — a song
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bound — tied together
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. track — to keep track
  11. tube — the underground
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. can — a tin
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bark — to shout
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — a container
  23. track — a path
  24. bound — certain

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