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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. key — for a lock
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. tear — from crying
  9. content — happy
  10. roll — a list
  11. rush — hurry
  12. tear — from crying
  13. key — in music
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. tear — to rip
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. content — the amount
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. roll — a cake

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