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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. charge — in control
  11. snap — to click
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. charge — a price
  16. bound — certain
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bark — to shout
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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