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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. chest — of your body
  7. roll — a list
  8. game — a match
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. game — wild animals
  13. face — to point toward
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. chest — a box
  21. plane — a tool
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. roll — a cake

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