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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 120 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wind — moving air
  5. march — the month
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chair — a leader
  11. mark — a grade
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mark — a trace
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bark — to shout
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. march — music
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. march — the month
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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