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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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Word bank
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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: row · safe · mark · spell · bark · nail

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. spell — letters
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. row — to paddle
  7. mark — a grade
  8. row — a line
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mark — a trace
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bark — to shout

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