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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. row — a line
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. row — to paddle
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. shower — to wash
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. field — farmland
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. field — for sport
  18. sharp — clever
  19. lean — to bend
  20. field — a subject
  21. shower — rain
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. lean — thin
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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