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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. kid — to tease
  15. sharp — clever
  16. kid — child
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. ball — a dance
  19. dip — to sink
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. ball — a great time

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