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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. drill — army training
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. file — a tool
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. swing — music
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. drill — the tool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. file — a document
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. swing — to play on
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. lie — to recline
  23. swing — in golf
  24. file — a line of people

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