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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 116 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. row — a line
  3. ball — a dance
  4. lean — thin
  5. pass — a permit
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — certain
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. object — to protest
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bound — obliged

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