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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bound — certain
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mate — a partner
  9. shower — rain
  10. content — the amount
  11. fall — the season
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bound — tied together
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. mate — a friend
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rest — what's left
  18. content — happy
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bound — obliged
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rest — a break

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