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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 116 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chip — to eat
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. file — a document
  6. bark — to shout
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rush — hurry
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. file — a tool
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. kick — in football
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. file — a line of people
  24. rock — music

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