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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bound — obliged
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. shower — to wash
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bound — certain
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. key — for a lock
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. shower — rain

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