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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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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: nail · bound · bark · swing · board · face · bank · can

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. swing — in golf
  3. can — to be able to
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. face — part of the head
  6. board — a committee
  7. bound — certain
  8. bark — to shout
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. can — a tin
  12. bound — tied together
  13. board — to get on
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. face — to confront
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. can — a tin
  20. face — to point toward
  21. swing — music
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. swing — to play on

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