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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 had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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. row — to paddle
  2. rule — a law
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. spell — magic
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rule — government
  10. bound — certain
  11. key — in music
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bound — tied together
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a face
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bound — obliged
  19. row — a line
  20. spell — letters
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. key — for a lock
  23. spell — a short time
  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