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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. land — to come down
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. club — for golf
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. club — a group
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bark — to shout
  18. land — ground
  19. toast — bread
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. land — a country
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bound — obliged
  24. squash — to crush

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