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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bound — tied together
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. tear — from crying
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bound — obliged
  10. chest — of your body
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. tear — from crying
  17. chest — a box
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. hide — to keep secret

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