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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 · tear · safe · ground · snap · court · stick · bound

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. tear — from crying
  4. ground — the earth
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. court — of a king
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bound — obliged
  9. tear — to rip
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bound — certain
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. court — of law
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. tear — from crying
  18. court — for sport
  19. snap — to click
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. ground — a position
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bound — tied together

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