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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — for digging
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. content — happy
  9. bound — tied together
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bound — certain
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. current — happening now
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. content — the amount
  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