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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 116 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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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: spring · rule · safe · dip · stand · bark · bay · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — the season
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. spring — of water
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. kid — to tease
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. dip — to sink
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — a law
  23. bark — to shout
  24. stand — to bear

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