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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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mate — a friend
  4. field — for sport
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wake — a trail
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bark — to shout
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. field — a subject
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. suit — to fit
  14. mine — for digging
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. field — farmland
  17. suit — in cards
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mate — a partner
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bark — of a tree

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