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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. net — for catching
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. cold — not warm
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. net — after costs
  18. cold — an illness
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. net — in sport
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. pitcher — a jug

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