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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bound — tied together
  5. cue — for pool
  6. wake — a trail
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. kick — in football
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bark — to shout
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bound — certain
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. cue — a signal
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. drill — a practice

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