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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: bark · saw · land · net · ball · spring · safe · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bark — to shout
  3. saw — the tool
  4. land — to come down
  5. saw — the tool
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. ball — a great time
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. spring — a coil
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a dance
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. spring — the season
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. land — ground
  16. net — for catching
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. net — after costs
  20. spring — of water
  21. land — a country
  22. net — in sport
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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