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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bound — certain
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. court — for sport
  6. deal — to handle
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bear — the animal
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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