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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spell — a short time
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. board — a committee
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. board — to get on
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. ball — a great time
  14. spell — magic
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. degree — temperature
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. degree — from a university
  21. spell — letters
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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