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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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Word bank
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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: sharp · mate · squash · safe · object · bay · wind · leaves

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mate — a friend
  5. sharp — clever
  6. object — a thing
  7. squash — the sport
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. object — to protest
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wind — moving air
  24. squash — to crush

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