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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. race — a contest
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. hand — help
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. fine — all right
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bark — to shout
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. race — humankind
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. race — the arms race

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