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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: wind · coach · safe · track · object · bay · sharp · wound

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. object — an aim
  17. wound — an injury
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. track — a song
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. wind — to turn a key

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