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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. kick — in football
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pit — a hole
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bound — tied together
  17. scale — in music
  18. pit — in a race
  19. row — a line
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bound — certain
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bay — a horse colour

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