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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. cue — a hint
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pop — soda
  9. branch — a division
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cold — an illness
  12. pop — music
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pop — to visit
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cue — for pool
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bark — to shout
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cold — the Cold War

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