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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. spell — letters
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. row — to paddle
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bore — to tire
  10. row — a line
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lie — to recline
  14. spell — magic
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. spell — a short time
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a great time

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