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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bound — obliged
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bound — tied together
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bear — the animal
  12. key — in music
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bark — to shout
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bear — the animal
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bound — certain

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