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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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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 · bay · wound · kid · land · pitcher · cabinet · pass

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. land — ground
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. kid — child
  8. pass — a permit
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. land — to come down
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. land — a country
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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