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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. club — a group
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. race — the arms race
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. field — farmland
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. field — for sport
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. race — humankind
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. field — a subject
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. race — a contest
  23. club — for golf
  24. lean — to rest against

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