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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wind — moving air
  4. chest — of your body
  5. shower — rain
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. shower — to wash
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a grade
  12. chest — a box
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wind — moving air
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bay — a part of the sea

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