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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: sharp · wind · board · fan · bay · mug · cue · safe

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cue — a signal
  8. board — to get on
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. mug — a face
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mug — to rob
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mug — a cup
  21. board — a committee
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. wind — moving air

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