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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 120 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: court · chest · spring · lash · charge · bay · bear · safe

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. charge — a price
  5. bear — the animal
  6. spring — the season
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. spring — a coil
  12. court — of law
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. charge — in control
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. court — for sport
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. spring — of water
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. court — of a king
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chest — of your body

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