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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. rush — hurry
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ground — a position
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bound — obliged
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. ground — crushed
  15. shower — to wash
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bound — certain
  20. hand — help
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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