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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bark — to shout
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tear — from crying
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mate — a friend
  8. scale — size or range
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. mate — to breed
  12. roll — a list
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. prune — to trim
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. scale — in music
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mate — a partner
  21. tear — to rip
  22. saw — the tool
  23. prune — to trim
  24. roll — a cake

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