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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. chest — a box
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. chest — of your body
  8. band — a ring
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. band — a music group
  12. shower — to wash
  13. club — for dancing
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. club — a group
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. shower — rain
  24. club — for golf

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