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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. hand — help
  12. band — a ring
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wake — a trail
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bark — to shout
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. band — a music group
  23. hand — in cards
  24. ruler — for measuring

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