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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: hide · bark · roll · firm · bound · swing · leaves · content

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. content — the amount
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. content — happy
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bound — certain
  12. roll — a list
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. swing — to play on
  16. firm — decided
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bound — tied together
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bark — to shout
  21. swing — music
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bound — obliged
  24. firm — steady

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