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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bark — to shout
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cell — a phone
  13. spell — magic
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fine — all right
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. fine — high quality
  21. cold — an illness
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. spell — letters
  24. mine — for digging

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