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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. mark — a trace
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. land — a country
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. roll — a cake
  15. land — to come down
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mark — a grade
  19. rock — music
  20. last — to go on
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. land — ground

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