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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. tube — a container
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. tube — the underground
  9. craft — a skill
  10. land — a country
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. land — ground
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. court — of a king
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. land — to come down
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. craft — boats

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