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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. row — a line
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. land — ground
  16. land — a country
  17. row — to paddle
  18. cell — in biology
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. safe — out of danger
  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