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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. current — of water
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. kick — in football
  8. squash — the sport
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mate — a partner
  12. squash — to crush
  13. current — happening now
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. land — to come down
  18. mate — a friend
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. land — a country
  21. mate — to breed
  22. land — ground
  23. current — electric
  24. safe — a strongbox

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