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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. roll — a cake
  4. sharp — clever
  5. roll — a list
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. row — to paddle
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. ball — a dance
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bark — to shout
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. row — a line
  24. ball — a great time

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