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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 it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rock — music
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bark — to shout
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. mine — for digging
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — certain
  20. tube — the underground
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bound — tied together
  24. plane — a tool

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