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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a list
  8. saw — the tool
  9. roll — a cake
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. chest — a box
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mouse — the animal

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