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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. clip — a video
  6. march — the month
  7. present — the time now
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. march — music
  11. clip — to cut
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. present — a gift
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — a safe
  16. fine — all right
  17. march — the month
  18. present — there
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. fine — high quality
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. safe — out of danger

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