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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mate — a partner
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bound — certain
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pass — a permit
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bound — tied together
  13. content — happy
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. mate — a friend
  17. content — the amount
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bound — obliged
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — a phone
  24. cell — in a prison

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