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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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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: fine · bound · face · tear · cue · pop · jam · bark

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. fine — all right
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. fine — high quality
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. face — to confront
  9. pop — soda
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. tear — to rip
  14. cue — a hint
  15. pop — music
  16. face — part of the head
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bark — to shout
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. face — to point toward
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bound — tied together
  24. cue — for pool

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