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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rock — music
  7. bound — tied together
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bound — certain
  12. last — finally
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bear — the animal
  16. key — in music
  17. last — to go on
  18. cold — an illness
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. last — final

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