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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. charge — in control
  10. stem — to come from
  11. wind — moving air
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. saw — the tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. charge — a price

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