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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. spell — letters
  3. staff — employees
  4. spell — magic
  5. bound — obliged
  6. current — of water
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bound — certain
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. staff — employees
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. ground — the earth
  15. race — humankind
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. current — electric
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. current — happening now
  20. race — the arms race
  21. spell — a short time
  22. ground — a position
  23. bound — tied together
  24. race — a contest

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