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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. roll — a cake
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bark — to shout
  5. race — humankind
  6. rule — a law
  7. bear — the animal
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. rule — government
  15. race — a contest
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a list
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bear — the animal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mug — a cup
  23. race — the arms race
  24. mug — to rob

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