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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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Word bank
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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. row — to paddle
  3. can — a tin
  4. row — a line
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. can — to be able to
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. can — a tin
  19. game — wild animals
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. game — a match
  24. sharp — clever

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