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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 120 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: cue · safe · bear · bore · wind · pound · swing · bay

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wind — moving air
  6. swing — in golf
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pound — a weight
  9. wind — moving air
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. cue — a hint
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bay — a horse colour

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