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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bear — the animal
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. hand — help
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pop — music
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bear — the animal
  21. saw — the tool
  22. foot — a measure
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bound — certain

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