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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bound — obliged
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. last — final
  7. bass — the fish
  8. saw — the tool
  9. last — finally
  10. bass — low music
  11. last — to go on
  12. bound — certain
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. track — a path
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wind — moving air
  24. saw — the tool

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