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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. drill — the tool
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. drill — a practice
  7. shower — rain
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. drill — army training
  11. deal — to handle
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. shower — to wash
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. saw — the tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mine — for digging

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