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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 120 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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — the arms race
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. shower — to wash
  6. race — a contest
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rule — a law
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rule — government
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bound — tied together
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bound — certain
  18. shower — rain
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bark — to shout
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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