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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rest — what's left
  6. spring — the season
  7. row — a line
  8. row — to paddle
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. spring — of water
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. cap — of ice
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spring — a coil
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cap — a lid
  24. racket — a loud noise

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