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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. ball — a great time
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. hand — in cards
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. hand — help
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. cap — of ice
  16. saw — the tool
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. ball — a dance
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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