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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 120 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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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. temple — side of the head
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. ball — a great time
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wound — an injury
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. saw — the tool
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wound — an injury
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. fork — in a road
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. can — a tin
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. chair — a leader
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. ball — a round shape

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