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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 116 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 mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. firm — a company
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. firm — steady
  12. hand — help
  13. pound — a weight
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. firm — decided
  17. season — in sport
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. lash — to lash out

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