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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.

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: spell · bark · wound · safe · tear · suit · nail · pass

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bark — to shout
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — a short time
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wound — an injury
  10. spell — magic
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. tear — to rip
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. tear — from crying
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. tear — from crying
  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