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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 120 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
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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: saw · safe · lean · chest · rash · court · present · bark

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rash — a series
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — of law
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — the time now
  11. rash — hasty
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lean — thin
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. present — there
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lean — to bend
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bark — to shout
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — a box
  23. saw — the tool
  24. safe — out of danger

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