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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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. temple — side of the head
  4. clip — to cut
  5. wind — moving air
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. rock — music
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. clip — for paper
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. clip — a video
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wind — moving air

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