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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: tear · club · bound · bark · track · lie · key · cabinet

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. club — a group
  9. bound — certain
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. track — a song
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. key — in music
  14. bark — to shout
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lie — to recline
  17. track — to keep track
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. club — for golf
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. key — for a lock
  24. track — a path

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