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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a leader
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bound — certain
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. press — to push
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. mark — a trace
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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