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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: jam · chest · bark · mark · hide · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. chest — of your body
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. chest — of your body
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mark — a trace
  18. chest — a box

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