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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 124 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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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: bay · file · can · shower · racket · safe · straw · cell

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. can — to be able to
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. can — a tin
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. shower — to wash
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. file — a document
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. file — a tool
  19. shower — rain
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. file — a line of people
  23. cell — in biology
  24. can — a tin

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