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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — to shout
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fork — in a road
  10. net — after costs
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. drill — the tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. drill — a practice
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. net — in sport
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. net — for catching
  21. drill — army training
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. safe — out of danger

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