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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pass — a permit
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. last — final
  12. snap — to click
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. ball — a great time
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. last — finally
  20. bark — to shout
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. wake — a trail
  23. last — to go on
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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