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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. file — a document
  5. wind — moving air
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. chip — for betting
  9. lean — to bend
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. file — a line of people
  13. band — a ring
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. lean — thin
  16. file — a tool
  17. band — a music group
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. wind — moving air
  24. safe — a strongbox

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