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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. track — a path
  11. file — a line of people
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. track — a song
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. kick — in football
  16. file — a tool
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bear — the animal
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. suit — to fit
  23. file — a document
  24. bear — the animal

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