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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. wound — an injury
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cue — for pool
  15. chest — a box
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wound — an injury
  20. date — the fruit
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — low music

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