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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 116 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. cold — not warm
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. hand — help
  10. rush — hurry
  11. spell — letters
  12. cold — an illness
  13. lean — to bend
  14. hand — in cards
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. mark — a trace
  21. spell — magic
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bay — a horse colour

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