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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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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: bound · game · fan · lie · rock · cabinet · bark · wind

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. game — a match
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bound — obliged
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bound — certain
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. rock — music
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bark — to shout
  18. wind — moving air
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bound — tied together
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lie — to recline
  24. game — wild animals

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