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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. object — an aim
  3. last — final
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bore — to tire
  6. land — to come down
  7. bore — to drill
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. last — to go on
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. last — finally
  12. court — of a king
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. object — a thing
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. land — a country
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. object — to protest
  20. court — for sport
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. land — ground
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. court — of law

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