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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. staff — employees
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. staff — employees
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. suit — in cards
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bound — tied together
  20. suit — to fit
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — rain

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