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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. kick — in football
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. firm — a company
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bore — to drill
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. date — the fruit
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. firm — steady
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. firm — decided
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — rain
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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