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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
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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: season · wake · bark · mate · tube · swing · safe · stick

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. swing — music
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bark — to shout
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. swing — to play on
  11. mate — to breed
  12. tube — the underground
  13. season — in sport
  14. mate — a partner
  15. tube — a container
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. wake — a trail
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. season — of the year

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