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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. tube — a container
  12. snap — to click
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. club — for golf
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. tube — the underground
  21. club — a group
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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