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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: bowl · file · stand · cabinet · safe · bay · bat · cold

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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. cold — the Cold War
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. stand — to bear
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. file — a line of people
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a tool
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cold — not warm
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cold — an illness

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