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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: safe · swing · suit · bark · racket · temple · land · fine

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. land — a country
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fine — all right
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. land — to come down
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. suit — to fit
  14. swing — music
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — to play on
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bark — to shout
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. land — ground
  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