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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.

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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: rock · track · bark · bay · content · wave · safe · prune

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. content — happy
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. track — a path
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. prune — to trim
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bark — to shout
  17. content — the amount
  18. track — a song
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rock — music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. track — to keep track
  24. rock — a stone

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