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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 120 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rock — music
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rock — a stone
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. tube — a container
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rock — to move gently

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