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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. tube — a container
  8. mine — for digging
  9. plane — a tool
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. perch — the fish
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. lean — thin
  24. plane — in geometry

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