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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wound — an injury
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wake — a trail
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. file — a line of people
  10. firm — steady
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. file — a tool
  13. net — for catching
  14. firm — decided
  15. file — a document
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. net — in sport
  18. firm — a company
  19. net — after costs
  20. wound — an injury
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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