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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. present — the time now
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. present — there
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. fine — high quality
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. fine — all right
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. present — a gift
  16. bark — to shout
  17. band — a music group
  18. sharp — clever
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. band — a ring
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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