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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 124 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. net — for catching
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. firm — steady
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. root — of a word
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. firm — decided
  11. band — a ring
  12. wound — an injury
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. root — of a plant
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. firm — a company
  22. band — a music group
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. root — the cause

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