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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: ground · rush · foot · bear · season · bark · safe · temple

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. ground — the earth
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. season — in sport
  5. foot — a measure
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rush — hurry
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ground — a position
  11. bear — the animal
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. season — of the year
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bark — to shout
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. ground — crushed

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