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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. content — the amount
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bass — the fish
  5. chest — of your body
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. ball — a dance
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. chest — a box
  11. fall — the season
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bass — low music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. content — happy

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