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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bound — obliged
  4. staff — employees
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. staff — employees
  7. track — a path
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. spring — the season
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. spring — a coil
  14. scale — in music
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bound — tied together
  19. spring — of water
  20. track — a song
  21. craft — boats
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bound — certain
  24. craft — a skill

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