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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. firm — decided
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. press — to push
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. firm — steady
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cell — a phone
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. key — the most important part
  20. cell — in biology
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. firm — a company

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