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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. object — an aim
  5. bound — certain
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. file — a tool
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. file — a document
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. object — to protest
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. file — a line of people
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. staff — a stick
  17. hand — help
  18. object — a thing
  19. bound — tied together
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. hand — in cards
  24. foot — a measure

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