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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. row — to paddle
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. chest — of your body
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bound — certain
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mate — a friend
  17. row — a line
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. chest — a box
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mate — a partner
  23. rest — what's left
  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