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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: safe · last · court · bowl · can · wake · bay · drill

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. court — of a king
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. court — of law
  6. drill — a practice
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. last — to go on
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. drill — army training
  13. court — for sport
  14. last — final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. last — finally
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. wake — a trail

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