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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. hand — help
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. mate — to breed
  6. hand — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. suit — clothes
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wind — moving air
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. suit — in cards
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bat — for baseball

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