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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. land — to come down
  4. prune — to trim
  5. land — a country
  6. face — to confront
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — part of the head
  11. prune — to trim
  12. drill — the tool
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. land — ground
  17. bound — certain
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — army training
  22. wake — a trail
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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