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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bank — for money
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bank — of a river
  5. march — the month
  6. wound — an injury
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wound — an injury
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. march — the month
  18. fine — all right
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bark — to shout
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. march — music
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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