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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: rock · wake · pitcher · bark · rash · mine · safe · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. rock — a stone
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. wake — a trail
  10. object — an aim
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rash — a series
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. object — a thing
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bark — to shout
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rock — music
  24. bark — of a tree

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