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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · staff · bark · chair · file · leaves · fork · key

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. bound — tied together
  8. key — for a lock
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a line of people
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bark — to shout
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. chair — a leader
  17. staff — employees
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. key — in music
  23. file — a tool
  24. fork — to eat with

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