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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. spell — a short time
  4. snap — to click
  5. object — a thing
  6. row — a line
  7. spell — magic
  8. mark — a grade
  9. object — an aim
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. object — to protest
  15. mark — a trace
  16. row — to paddle
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. spell — letters
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bark — to shout
  22. dip — to sink
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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