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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. game — wild animals
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. game — a match
  16. stock — goods
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stock — shares
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. staff — employees
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mine — for digging
  23. squash — to crush
  24. staff — employees

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