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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: cabinet · straw · roll · bound · mug · spell · bark · club

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. roll — a list
  3. spell — letters
  4. bound — certain
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — for golf
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bound — tied together
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. mug — to rob
  14. spell — a short time
  15. club — a group
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bound — obliged
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. spell — magic
  22. mug — a face
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. straw — dry grass

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