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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: season · rest · hide · mine · rule · bark · safe · present

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mine — for digging
  4. season — of the year
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rest — what's left
  8. season — in sport
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. present — there
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rule — a law
  17. present — a gift
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. present — the time now
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rule — government
  24. rest — a break

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