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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cap — of ice
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cap — a hat
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. craft — a skill
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a music group
  17. chest — of your body
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. chest — a box
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. sharp — clever

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