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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bound — certain
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. chest — a box
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. branch — a division
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. chest — of your body
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. track — a song
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. track — a path
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pop — soda
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. track — to keep track
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bound — obliged

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