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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. wind — moving air
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. object — to protest
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. game — a match
  11. bound — obliged
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bound — certain
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. object — an aim
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. object — a thing
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. wind — to turn a key

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