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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.

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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bound — obliged
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. track — a song
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. track — a path
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bound — certain
  13. rush — hurry
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. kid — to tease
  18. hand — in cards
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. hand — help
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. squash — the sport
  23. kid — child
  24. bound — tied together

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