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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 120 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. mug — to rob
  6. wind — moving air
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. content — happy
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. content — the amount
  11. mug — a cup
  12. race — a contest
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. chip — to eat
  15. race — humankind
  16. pit — a hole
  17. chip — for betting
  18. mug — a face
  19. race — the arms race
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. pit — in a race
  24. content — videos and posts

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