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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. object — a thing
  3. prune — to trim
  4. chest — a box
  5. object — to protest
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. cell — in biology
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. object — an aim
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. prune — to trim
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cell — a phone
  24. chest — of your 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