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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pop — music
  5. lean — thin
  6. degree — temperature
  7. band — a ring
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bound — certain
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — soda
  17. rule — a law
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rule — government
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. band — a music group

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