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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. march — the month
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — to shout
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. march — the month
  14. rush — hurry
  15. scale — in music
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. scale — size or range
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — part of the head
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. land — a country
  22. march — music
  23. face — to confront
  24. safe — out of danger

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