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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: snap · net · bay · lie · land · safe · fan · race

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. race — a contest
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. snap — to click
  7. land — to come down
  8. net — after costs
  9. race — the arms race
  10. land — a country
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. net — for catching
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. race — humankind
  16. net — in sport
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. land — ground
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. lie — to recline

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