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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bark — to shout
  3. face — to point toward
  4. sharp — clever
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. face — to confront
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pound — a weight
  18. face — part of the head
  19. foot — a measure
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rush — hurry
  24. safe — out of danger

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