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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. capital — money
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mate — a friend
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — wild animals
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. can — a tin
  15. game — a match
  16. bank — for money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bank — for money
  21. mate — to breed
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. capital — a city
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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