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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bark — to shout
  3. last — finally
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a trace
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bear — the animal
  12. last — final
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wind — moving air
  15. last — to go on
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bear — the animal
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mark — a grade
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. tear — to rip
  24. rock — music

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