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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. chest — of your body
  4. current — of water
  5. lie — to recline
  6. cap — a lid
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. fall — the season
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. fall — to drop
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. cap — of ice
  16. row — to paddle
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. row — a line
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. chest — of your body
  24. fall — to drop

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