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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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468
Word bank
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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. snap — to click
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bass — the fish
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bass — low music
  17. clip — a video
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. clip — to cut
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. craft — boats
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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