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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 124 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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. firm — steady
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. band — a music group
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. firm — decided
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. band — a ring
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. face — part of the head
  13. firm — a company
  14. bound — certain
  15. face — to point toward
  16. hand — help
  17. saw — the tool
  18. face — to confront
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bound — tied together

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