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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. fall — the season
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. chest — a box
  9. cold — not warm
  10. fall — to drop
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rest — a break
  14. rock — music
  15. mark — a trace
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cold — an illness
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mark — a grade
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. rest — what's left
  24. chest — of your body

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