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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. drill — the tool
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bound — tied together
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. ball — a great time
  11. mate — to breed
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. board — to get on
  15. bound — certain
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mate — a partner
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — army training
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. board — a committee

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