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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. We're on 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. suit — in cards
  3. roll — a list
  4. bound — certain
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. land — a country
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. suit — to fit
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. land — ground
  12. hand — help
  13. suit — clothes
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — a series
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. roll — a cake
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bound — obliged
  23. land — to come down
  24. roll — on a roll

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