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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. ground — crushed
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. tube — the underground
  6. chest — a box
  7. ground — the earth
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. file — a document
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. ground — a position
  15. file — a line of people
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. chest — of your body
  18. file — a tool
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. arm — part of the body

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