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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bound — certain
  7. swing — in golf
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bound — obliged
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — the amount
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. swing — music
  15. bound — tied together
  16. swing — to play on
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. chair — to sit on

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