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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. present — a gift
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. can — a tin
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. present — there
  11. present — the time now
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bark — to shout
  15. can — a tin
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. cell — a phone
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. can — to be able to
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cell — in biology

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