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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. object — an aim
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chest — a box
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. object — a thing
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. chest — of your body
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. game — a match
  15. object — to protest
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. prune — to trim
  18. game — wild animals

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