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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bark · safe · cap · hide · scale · toast · spring · mine

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. cap — a lid
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cap — a hat
  11. mine — for digging
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. toast — bread
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. spring — of water
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. scale — in music
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. scale — size or range
  24. mine — an explosive

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