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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. land — ground
  3. land — a country
  4. bass — the fish
  5. staff — employees
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wound — an injury
  8. land — to come down
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. staff — a stick
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. tube — a container
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. staff — employees
  20. bass — low music
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. chair — a leader

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