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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: mate · safe · rest · bark · spell · leaves · sharp · march

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. march — music
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bark — to shout
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. march — the month
  10. rest — what's left
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. spell — letters
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. march — the month
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. spell — magic
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rest — a break

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