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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.

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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: board · safe · straw · can · fine · jam · bark · wound

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. can — to be able to
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. board — to get on
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. board — a committee
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. can — a tin
  14. bark — to shout
  15. fine — all right
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wound — an injury
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. can — a tin

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