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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 120 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. rule — government
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. chair — a leader
  6. rule — a law
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bound — tied together
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bound — obliged
  14. land — ground
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. land — a country
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. land — to come down
  23. bound — certain
  24. chair — a professorship

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