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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. firm — a company
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. fine — all right
  4. file — a tool
  5. bound — tied together
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bound — certain
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wax — to grow
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. bark — to shout
  13. firm — decided
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. file — a document
  18. can — a tin
  19. bound — obliged
  20. firm — steady
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  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