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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 are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. track — to keep track
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bound — tied together
  8. mark — a grade
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rest — a break
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bound — certain
  17. track — a path
  18. track — a song
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — to shout

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