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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pop — music
  6. fall — the season
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. pop — to visit
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rash — a series
  23. pop — soda
  24. bat — the animal

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