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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
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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 · face · mine · bay · safe · board · band · spell

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. board — a committee
  6. face — part of the head
  7. spell — magic
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mine — for digging
  10. board — to get on
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. band — a ring
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. spell — letters
  17. band — a music group
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bark — to shout
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. face — to point toward
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. face — to confront

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