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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. current — electric
  10. season — in sport
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. current — of water
  13. rest — a break
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rest — what's left
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — certain
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bound — tied together
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. current — happening now

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