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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. wax — to grow
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. stock — goods
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stock — shares
  10. bark — to shout
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — child
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. chip — to eat
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. wax — in the ear
  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