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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. lean — thin
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. net — in sport
  7. pit — in a race
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. net — for catching
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. spell — letters
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bark — to shout
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. mark — a grade
  21. spell — magic
  22. pit — a hole
  23. mark — a trace
  24. net — after costs

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