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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rest — a break
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. date — the fruit
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fall — to drop
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rest — what's left
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fall — to drop
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fall — the season
  24. bay — a horse colour

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