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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 116 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cap — of ice
  6. rush — hurry
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. track — a song
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bark — to shout
  19. track — to keep track
  20. rash — a series
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. rock — music
  24. sharp — with an edge

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