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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 · kick · bore · mine · track · bass · hide

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — to keep track
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bore — to tire
  11. track — a song
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bore — to drill
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. kick — in football
  24. hide — to keep secret

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