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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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. game — wild animals
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bat — the animal
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. kick — in football
  9. rash — a series
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. game — a match
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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