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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. chest — of your body
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. sharp — clever
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. fork — in a road
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. fall — the season
  24. fork — a garden tool

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