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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cell — a phone
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — in biology
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. sharp — clever
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. racket — for tennis

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