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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bound — certain
  4. craft — boats
  5. tube — a container
  6. present — the time now
  7. bound — tied together
  8. saw — the tool
  9. drill — the tool
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. present — a gift
  12. drill — army training
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bound — obliged
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. present — there
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. chair — a leader
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. drill — a practice
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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