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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bark — to shout
  4. last — to go on
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. last — finally
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. fork — in a road
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. last — final
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. foot — a measure
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. calf — a young animal

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