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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
468
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: safe · bay · bear · current · staff · clip · game · toast

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. toast — bread
  4. game — a match
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. current — of water
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. clip — for paper
  10. game — wild animals
  11. clip — a video
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bear — the animal
  17. current — happening now
  18. staff — a stick
  19. clip — to cut
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bear — the animal
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. current — electric
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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