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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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. face — to confront
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. chest — a box
  8. track — a song
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. face — to point toward
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. kick — in football
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. chest — of your body
  18. face — part of the head

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