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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. spring — a coil
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spring — the season
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. row — a line
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. snap — to click
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. spring — of water
  19. row — to paddle
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — a face
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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