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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. foot — a measure
  4. spring — the season
  5. ground — crushed
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pass — a permit
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. ground — a position
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. spring — of water
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. spring — a coil
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. ground — the earth

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