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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bore — to tire
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rest — a break
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. foot — a measure
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. court — of law
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rest — what's left
  16. court — of a king
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. court — for sport
  22. rest — what's left
  23. chest — a box
  24. plane — in geometry

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