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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. fine — all right
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stock — goods
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bore — to tire
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bore — to drill
  15. chest — a box
  16. stock — shares
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fine — high quality
  24. stock — a soup base

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