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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. band — a music group
  4. net — for catching
  5. can — a tin
  6. bark — to shout
  7. can — to be able to
  8. shower — to wash
  9. lean — thin
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. lean — to bend
  16. can — a tin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. net — after costs
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. shower — rain
  24. safe — a strongbox

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