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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 116 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. mate — a friend
  3. spell — letters
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. spell — magic
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bulb — for light
  15. spell — a short time
  16. capital — a city
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mug — a face
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. capital — money
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mate — a partner
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. capital — a big letter

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