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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. field — a subject
  5. bound — certain
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wax — to grow
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. field — for sport
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bound — tied together
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. field — farmland
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bound — obliged

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