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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bark — to shout
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bound — certain
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bound — obliged
  7. club — for golf
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. key — in music
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. net — after costs
  18. key — the most important part
  19. net — in sport
  20. lie — to recline
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. net — for catching
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for dancing

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