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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: roll · toast · clip · bound · safe · cold · bark · stock

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bound — obliged
  4. roll — a cake
  5. toast — bread
  6. clip — to cut
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. stock — shares
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. stock — goods
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bound — certain
  19. cold — not warm
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — a video
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bark — of a tree

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