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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. content — the amount
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fall — to drop
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. cold — not warm
  13. content — happy
  14. fall — the season
  15. pound — a weight
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stand — to bear
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cold — an illness
  23. safe — out of danger
  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