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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 116 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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. spring — a coil
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. game — a match
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. saw — the tool
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bound — obliged
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. saw — the tool
  17. spring — the season
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. spring — of water
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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