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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bark — to shout
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. club — a group
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. mark — a trace
  11. club — for golf
  12. mine — for digging
  13. clip — for paper
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. clip — a video
  16. wake — a trail
  17. clip — to cut
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. mark — a grade
  24. temple — a place of worship

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