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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. last — to go on
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. net — for catching
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. last — finally
  14. last — final
  15. rock — a stone
  16. net — after costs
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. rock — music
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. net — in sport
  21. wound — an injury
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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