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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. net — in sport
  5. bark — to shout
  6. spell — letters
  7. net — for catching
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. roll — a cake
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. net — after costs
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. spell — a short time
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. spell — magic
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hand — help

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