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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. march — the month
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. march — the month
  11. content — happy
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. march — music
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. content — the amount
  20. mine — for digging
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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