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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. mug — a face
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to sink
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. mate — a partner
  16. kid — to tease
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. mate — to breed
  19. row — to paddle
  20. hand — help
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. row — a line
  24. mug — to rob

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