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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. file — a tool
  4. club — for dancing
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. club — for golf
  7. file — a line of people
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. root — of a plant
  11. club — a group
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bound — tied together
  15. root — of a word
  16. bound — obliged
  17. file — a document
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. root — the cause
  21. mark — a grade
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. hide — to keep secret

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