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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rule — government
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bark — to shout
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — in football
  10. shower — rain
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. rule — a law
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. snap — to click
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — boats
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. shower — to wash

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