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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. bank — for money
  3. ground — the earth
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bark — to shout
  9. ground — a position
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rock — music
  13. bank — for money
  14. kid — child
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rock — a stone
  19. ground — crushed
  20. kid — to tease
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  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