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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bound — tied together
  8. court — for sport
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. court — of a king
  14. chest — a box
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. bound — certain
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. chest — of your body
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. chest — of your body
  24. court — of law

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