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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bound — certain
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bound — tied together
  6. last — finally
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. last — to go on
  9. dip — to sink
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. file — a tool
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bound — obliged
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a line of people
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. kick — in football
  24. cell — a phone

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