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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 116 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 · mate · content · race · mug · pop · safe · kid

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. mate — a partner
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. mug — a cup
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. kid — to tease
  9. pop — soda
  10. mug — a face
  11. content — happy
  12. mug — to rob
  13. race — a contest
  14. content — the amount
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. race — humankind
  17. pop — music
  18. mate — to breed
  19. pop — to visit
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mate — a friend
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — child
  24. race — the arms race

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