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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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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. land — ground
  4. land — a country
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — the fruit
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. season — in sport
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. season — of the year
  14. rash — a series
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. land — to come down
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. squash — to crush

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