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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 120 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
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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: staff · object · bark · lie · safe · court · bay · spring

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  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. object — to protest
  2. court — of law
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. spring — the season
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. staff — a stick
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. staff — employees
  14. bark — to shout
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. staff — employees
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — for sport
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — a thing
  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