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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bound — obliged
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bark — to shout
  5. game — a match
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bound — certain
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. game — wild animals
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. sharp — exactly

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