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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. lie — to recline
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pitch — completely
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. file — a tool
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. file — a document
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. pitch — a sports field

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