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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. object — a thing
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. firm — a company
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wake — a trail
  8. firm — steady
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bound — certain
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. firm — decided
  13. object — an aim
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bound — tied together
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cell — a phone
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. object — to protest
  24. bay — a horse colour

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