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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.

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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: bark · safe · spring · rest · cue · stand · current · racket

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rest — what's left
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. spring — a coil
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rest — a break
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. spring — the season
  16. cue — a signal
  17. current — of water
  18. stand — to bear
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. current — electric
  23. spring — of water
  24. current — happening now

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