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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bound — certain
  8. capital — money
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bound — obliged
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — a city
  19. bound — tied together
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. vault — a safe
  24. dip — a sauce

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