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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bark — to shout
  3. squash — to crush
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. mark — a trace
  10. rest — what's left
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. squash — the sport
  16. kid — child
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. rest — a break
  20. mark — a grade
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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