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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 120 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. file — a document
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. chair — a leader
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. file — a line of people
  15. staff — employees
  16. rush — hurry
  17. file — a tool
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. chair — a professorship

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