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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. file — a document
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bark — to shout
  9. stand — to bear
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. perch — the fish
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. mark — a trace
  15. cue — for pool
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mark — a grade
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cue — a signal

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