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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. object — a thing
  5. race — humankind
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. object — an aim
  9. rest — what's left
  10. last — finally
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. object — to protest
  15. race — a contest
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. race — the arms race
  19. last — final
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. last — to go on
  22. rest — a break
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. rest — what's left

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