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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 124 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. cold — not warm
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. last — finally
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. last — to go on
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cold — an illness
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. last — final
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — tied together
  24. lie — an untruth

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