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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · wind · fan · bound · dip · rule · ground

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ground — the earth
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bark — to shout
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. ground — a position
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bound — tied together
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rule — a law
  24. bound — certain

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