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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bound — tied together
  10. dip — to sink
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bound — obliged
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. row — to paddle
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rock — music
  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