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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 partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — a gift
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bass — low music
  11. deal — to handle
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bore — to tire
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. present — the time now
  24. safe — out of danger

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