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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ground — a position
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. clip — to cut
  9. wake — a trail
  10. ground — the earth
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. clip — a video
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mug — a face
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. safe — out of danger

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