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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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. ball — a round shape
  3. land — to come down
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wound — an injury
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — a match
  12. land — a country
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. ball — a dance
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. vault — a safe
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. ball — a great time
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. land — ground
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. safe — out of danger

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