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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. spring — of water
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. shower — rain
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. race — a contest
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. wound — an injury
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — steady
  20. shower — to wash
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. spring — the season
  23. race — humankind
  24. wound — an injury

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