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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: sharp · rush · spring · mark · safe · deal · pop · bark

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pop — soda
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bark — to shout
  10. mark — a grade
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pop — music
  15. spring — the season
  16. deal — to handle
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — of water

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