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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. file — a line of people
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. spring — of water
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. sharp — clever
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bound — certain
  17. file — a document
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. spring — the season
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. spring — a coil
  24. safe — a strongbox

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