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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wind — moving air
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. tear — to rip
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. tear — from crying
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in biology
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. ball — a great time
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. foot — a measure
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. tear — from crying
  24. wind — moving air

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