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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. chest — of your body
  4. wind — moving air
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. fall — to drop
  8. chest — a box
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pitch — completely
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. current — of water
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. current — electric
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. current — happening now
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bay — a horse colour

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