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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: key · game · safe · spell · cabinet · bark · file · bound

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. spell — magic
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bark — to shout
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. game — wild animals
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. key — in music
  12. file — a line of people
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. key — the most important part
  15. game — a match
  16. spell — letters
  17. file — a document
  18. key — for a lock
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. cabinet — ministers

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