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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 116 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: bay · pound · safe · capital · bound · cabinet · bark · lash

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. capital — money
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bound — certain
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. capital — a city
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bark — to shout
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pound — a weight

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