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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. fall — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. fall — to drop
  13. date — the fruit
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. row — a line
  17. spring — the season
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. fork — in a road
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. fork — a garden tool

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