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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. track — to keep track
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. track — a path
  6. snap — to click
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — child
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. track — a song
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. saw — the tool
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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