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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bark — to shout
  4. suit — to fit
  5. band — a music group
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. suit — clothes
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bound — tied together
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. band — a ring
  18. bound — certain
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. wax — to grow
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. wax — in the ear

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