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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. press — to push
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. vault — a safe
  11. key — the most important part
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. key — in music
  14. press — newspapers
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. key — for a lock
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bound — tied together
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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