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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. band — a music group
  6. bound — certain
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. band — a ring
  10. ball — a great time
  11. rash — hasty
  12. toast — bread
  13. ball — a dance
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. press — to push
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. mine — for digging
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. press — newspapers
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. press — a publisher
  24. rash — a series

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