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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bound — certain
  4. suit — to fit
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. prune — to trim
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — low music
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a document
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bound — tied together
  16. saw — the tool
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bass — the fish
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bound — obliged
  24. suit — in cards

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