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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. court — of law
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — to shout
  6. net — for catching
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. sharp — clever
  11. net — after costs
  12. court — of a king
  13. dip — to sink
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. court — for sport
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. net — in sport
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bark — of a tree

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