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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. land — ground
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. land — to come down
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pit — a hole
  16. land — a country
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bound — certain
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. press — to push
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pit — in a race

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