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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pit — a hole
  3. object — an aim
  4. bark — to shout
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. object — to protest
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bound — obliged
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. saw — the tool
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pit — in a race
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. key — for a lock
  24. object — a thing

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