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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 · fine · wind · ground · safe · tear · toast · field

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fine — high quality
  3. field — a subject
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. ground — crushed
  8. field — for sport
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. field — farmland
  12. toast — bread
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wind — moving air
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. wind — moving air
  22. ground — a position
  23. fine — all right
  24. safe — a strongbox

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