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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. content — the amount
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. content — happy
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. sharp — clever

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