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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 120 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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. hand — in cards
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. file — a document
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. hand — help
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. kick — in football
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. file — a tool
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. file — a line of people
  24. stand — on your feet

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