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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pop — to visit
  6. mine — for digging
  7. rule — government
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bark — to shout
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. board — a committee
  16. plane — a tool
  17. chest — a box
  18. rule — a law
  19. pop — music
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. board — to get on
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pop — soda

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