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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. cold — not warm
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. board — to get on
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. content — the amount
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. cold — an illness
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. sharp — clever
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. content — happy
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bark — to shout

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