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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. firm — steady
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bass — the fish
  8. shower — rain
  9. bass — low music
  10. firm — decided
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bound — tied together
  14. mug — a cup
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. firm — a company
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. shower — to wash
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bound — certain
  24. lean — thin

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