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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. mug — a face
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. season — in sport
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. chip — for betting
  15. lean — thin
  16. mug — to rob
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. lean — to bend
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. season — of the year
  22. root — the cause
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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