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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 water is too ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. foot — a measure
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. season — in sport
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. vault — a safe
  12. cold — an illness
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. season — of the year
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bass — low music
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bass — the fish
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bark — to shout
  24. tube — a container

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