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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. cold — an illness
  3. last — final
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. last — finally
  9. cold — not warm
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. last — to go on
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bound — certain
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. kick — in football
  24. hide — to keep secret

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