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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bound — certain
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bound — tied together
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wind — moving air
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — in music
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. charge — in control
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. object — to protest
  19. charge — a price
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lie — to recline

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