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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. file — a document
  15. drill — army training
  16. spring — the season
  17. bark — to shout
  18. spring — a coil
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. cue — for pool
  21. file — a tool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. spring — of water

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