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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: bark · bank · object · toast · file · chest · nail · bound

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. bank — for money
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. file — a document
  5. chest — of your body
  6. object — an aim
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. file — a line of people
  11. chest — a box
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bound — tied together
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — to protest
  17. bound — obliged
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. file — a tool
  21. toast — bread
  22. bank — for money
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bound — certain

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