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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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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mark — a trace
  3. field — a subject
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — of water
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bark — to shout
  12. fall — the season
  13. firm — decided
  14. bound — obliged
  15. field — farmland
  16. spring — the season
  17. bound — certain
  18. field — for sport
  19. mark — a grade
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. firm — a company
  22. bound — tied together
  23. fall — to drop
  24. firm — steady

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