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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. root — the cause
  6. swing — in golf
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — a phone
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. root — of a word
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rest — a break
  16. swing — to play on
  17. root — of a plant
  18. fall — to drop
  19. swing — music
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cell — in biology
  22. kid — to tease
  23. fall — the season
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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