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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. file — a document
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. spring — of water
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. file — a line of people
  10. spring — a coil
  11. last — to go on
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. last — finally
  15. file — a tool
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. last — final
  18. face — to confront

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