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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. shower — rain
  9. present — the time now
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mate — to breed
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bark — to shout
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. present — a gift
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mate — a partner
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. present — there
  22. mark — a trace
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. toast — bread

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