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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wind — moving air
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. stand — to bear
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. season — of the year
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. scale — in music
  16. bound — certain
  17. scale — size or range
  18. season — in sport
  19. shower — rain
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. rest — a break
  24. shower — to wash

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