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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.

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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: club · bound · bark · tear · staff · fine · safe · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. tear — to rip
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bound — certain
  7. fine — all right
  8. staff — employees
  9. wind — moving air
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. staff — employees
  12. bound — obliged
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bound — tied together
  16. fine — high quality
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. club — for golf
  21. staff — a stick
  22. club — a group
  23. bark — to shout
  24. safe — a strongbox

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