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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 116 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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bat — the animal
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. clip — a video
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cell — a phone

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