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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. charge — a price
  3. field — a subject
  4. bound — certain
  5. spring — the season
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bound — tied together
  10. spring — a coil
  11. drill — the tool
  12. field — for sport
  13. spring — of water
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. drill — a practice
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. drill — army training
  20. field — farmland
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. charge — in control
  23. bound — obliged
  24. trunk — of a tree

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