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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: lean · bay · mark · deal · fall · safe · pitcher · saw

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mark — a trace
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mark — a grade
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — thin
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fall — the season
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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