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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 116 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. rock — music
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bound — tied together
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. content — the amount
  16. bound — obliged
  17. content — happy
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bound — certain

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