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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. march — music
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. land — ground
  7. march — the month
  8. content — the amount
  9. land — to come down
  10. wound — an injury
  11. content — happy
  12. march — the month
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. land — a country
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. kick — in football
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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