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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · bay · bound · vault · bark · key · face · wound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. swing — music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — for a lock
  8. face — to confront
  9. vault — a safe
  10. swing — to play on
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bound — certain
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. key — in music
  24. wound — an injury

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