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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rest — a break
  8. hand — help
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bound — tied together
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bound — certain
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bank — for money
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — bread

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