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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. hand — help
  5. bound — obliged
  6. land — to come down
  7. stem — to come from
  8. land — ground
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bound — certain
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bore — to drill
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. sharp — clever
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — for catching
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. land — a country

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