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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bark — to shout
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. chip — for betting
  9. swing — to play on
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. wound — an injury
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. swing — in golf
  17. wound — an injury
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. swing — music
  23. chip — to eat
  24. sharp — clever

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