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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: safe · pit · cabinet · stick · bay · fall · wave · ground

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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 — out of danger
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ground — crushed
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. ground — a position
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ground — the earth
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pit — a hole
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fall — the season

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