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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — in a race
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. march — the month
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. march — music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. march — the month
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — child
  24. mouse — the animal

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