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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 · ball · cold · bay · snap · bound · kick · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. kick — in football
  6. cold — not warm
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bound — obliged
  9. ball — a dance
  10. cold — an illness
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. ball — a great time
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bound — tied together
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — a match
  23. bound — certain
  24. snap — to click

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