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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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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: band · scale · stick · rule · bound · bark · rush · safe

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bound — tied together
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bound — obliged
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a music group
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. band — a ring
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rule — a law
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bark — to shout
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rule — government
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bound — certain
  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