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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: wake · safe · bay · fan · cue · jam · last · file

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. file — a document
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. file — a line of people
  10. wake — a trail
  11. last — final
  12. cue — a signal
  13. last — finally
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. file — a tool
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cue — a hint
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. last — to go on
  24. cue — for pool

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