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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: tear · fork · bay · chest · race · fine · safe · foot

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. chest — of your body
  6. fine — all right
  7. chest — of your body
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. tear — from crying
  10. race — humankind
  11. foot — a measure
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. tear — to rip
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. tear — from crying
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. chest — a box
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. race — a contest

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