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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. fall — the season
  3. season — in sport
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. net — after costs
  7. season — of the year
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bound — certain
  11. net — in sport
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. net — for catching
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bound — obliged
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. fall — to drop
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — rain
  24. wave — with your hand

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