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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. wake — before a funeral
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. row — to paddle
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — bread
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — of water
  11. land — ground
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. land — a country
  14. land — to come down
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bear — the animal
  20. row — a line
  21. bear — the animal
  22. spring — the season
  23. bear — to put up with
  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