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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. spring — of water
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. season — in sport
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. season — of the year
  8. spring — the season
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bound — tied together
  13. object — an aim
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bound — certain
  18. object — a thing
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bound — obliged
  21. object — to protest
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. spring — a coil

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