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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. firm — decided
  4. press — a publisher
  5. firm — steady
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. bound — obliged
  9. land — ground
  10. lie — to recline
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bound — tied together
  13. firm — a company
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. press — to push
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bound — certain
  22. press — newspapers
  23. branch — a division
  24. lie — an untruth

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