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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rush — hurry
  10. cold — not warm
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. staff — employees
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. cold — an illness
  20. bound — obliged
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. cold — the Cold War

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