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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 124 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. face — to point toward
  4. band — a ring
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — child
  8. band — a music group
  9. face — part of the head
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. bound — tied together
  14. face — to confront
  15. net — for catching
  16. bound — certain
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — to handle

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