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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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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: key · wound · bark · bank · dip · wake · safe · tear

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bark — to shout
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bank — for money
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. key — the most important part
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. key — for a lock
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bank — for money
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bank — of a river
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. key — in music
  22. tear — to rip
  23. dip — to sink
  24. wound — an injury

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