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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mine — for digging
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. spell — a short time
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. land — a country
  10. wake — a trail
  11. lean — thin
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. spell — magic
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. wake — before a funeral

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