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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. can — a tin
  3. rock — music
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. can — to be able to
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. face — to confront
  14. dip — to sink
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. roll — a cake
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. wake — a trail
  22. roll — a list
  23. rock — a stone
  24. can — a tin

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