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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. band — a music group
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mark — a trace
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mark — a grade
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. tear — to rip
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. rule — a law
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. band — a ring
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rule — government
  23. date — the fruit
  24. tear — from crying

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