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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. kid — child
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. ground — a position
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. rush — hurry
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — the earth
  23. leaves — to go away
  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