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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: face · file · foot · calf · row · bound · bark · court

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. face — to point toward
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. face — to confront
  6. file — a tool
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. file — a document
  11. bark — to shout
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. court — of law
  14. bound — certain
  15. court — for sport
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. court — of a king
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. file — a line of people
  22. face — part of the head
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. row — a quarrel

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