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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bound — tied together
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bound — certain
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. firm — steady
  11. bark — to shout
  12. spell — a short time
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. firm — decided
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. snap — to click
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bound — obliged
  23. firm — a company
  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