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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. firm — steady
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. file — a document
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. firm — decided
  8. shower — rain
  9. firm — a company
  10. club — for golf
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. rest — what's left
  14. shower — to wash
  15. rest — a break
  16. club — a group
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rest — what's left
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a tool
  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