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

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. saw — the tool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. last — final
  5. bound — certain
  6. last — finally
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. last — to go on
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. mate — a friend
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. saw — the tool
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. saw — past of 'see'

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