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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bound — certain
  4. swing — to play on
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. file — a document
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. key — the most important part
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bear — the animal
  12. file — a tool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bound — tied together
  18. key — in music
  19. swing — music
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bear — the animal
  24. file — a line of people

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