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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · safe · bat · cap · lash · can

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bat — the animal
  6. cap — a lid
  7. can — a tin
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. can — a tin
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. can — to be able to

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