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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chest — of your body
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wound — an injury
  9. can — a tin
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. dip — to sink
  14. cap — a lid
  15. can — a tin
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. chest — a box
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. can — to be able to

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