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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · perch · fan · bay · bound · rest · staff · face

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. face — to point toward
  4. staff — employees
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bound — obliged
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rest — what's left
  12. staff — employees
  13. face — part of the head
  14. staff — a stick
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. face — to confront
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bound — certain
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bark — to shout
  24. rest — a break

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