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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: mark · bark · spell · safe · kick · last · mouse · club

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. club — a group
  4. last — final
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. last — to go on
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. spell — magic
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. spell — letters
  13. mark — a grade
  14. club — for golf
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. mark — a trace
  20. club — for dancing
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. last — finally
  23. kick — in football
  24. safe — out of danger

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