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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. chest — a box
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bass — the fish
  7. face — part of the head
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. face — to confront
  10. march — the month
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. march — music
  13. face — to point toward
  14. march — the month
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chest — of your body
  18. squash — the sport
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bass — low music
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. hide — animal skin

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