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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. band — a ring
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. hand — in cards
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cell — a phone
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cell — in biology
  20. lean — thin
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. hand — help
  24. band — a music group

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