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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bound — certain
  5. face — to confront
  6. rock — a stone
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. clip — for paper
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. clip — to cut
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. clip — a video
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wax — to grow
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — a position

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