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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: sharp · bay · fine · chest · ball · hand · safe · bound

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bound — tied together
  5. hand — help
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. chest — a box
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bound — certain
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bound — obliged
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. chest — of your body
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. ball — a dance
  21. sharp — clever
  22. fine — all right
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. hand — in cards

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