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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 · present · mug · lean · cue · fine · game

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. lean — thin
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. present — there
  9. game — a match
  10. mug — a cup
  11. fine — high quality
  12. cue — for pool
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. cue — a hint
  17. mug — a face
  18. game — wild animals
  19. fine — all right
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. mug — to rob
  22. present — the time now
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bark — to shout

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