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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bound — tied together
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. saw — the tool
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. saw — the tool
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bound — certain
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. tube — a container
  13. mate — a partner
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mate — a friend
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. mate — to breed
  24. safe — a strongbox

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