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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. clip — for paper
  5. last — finally
  6. firm — a company
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. charge — in control
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. clip — to cut
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. charge — a price
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — decided
  17. charge — electricity
  18. clip — a video
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. last — to go on

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