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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. root — the cause
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. file — a document
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. root — of a word
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. wound — an injury
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. root — of a plant
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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