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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. land — ground
  3. bound — certain
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. saw — the tool
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. file — a document
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pop — soda
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. saw — the tool
  16. land — a country
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pop — music
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. file — a tool
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rock — music
  24. land — to come down

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