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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 120 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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. hand — help
  10. chest — of your body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wake — a trail
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bulb — for light
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. chest — a box
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. racket — a loud noise

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