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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: lash · fan · wind · stick · safe · hide · bay · last

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. last — final
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. wind — moving air
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. safe — out of danger

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