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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. tear — to rip
  4. kick — in football
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bound — certain
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fork — in a road
  12. drill — army training
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pop — music
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pop — to visit
  17. drill — a practice
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pop — soda
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. tear — from crying
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. fork — a garden tool

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