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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. rock — music
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. lean — to bend
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. lean — thin
  10. ball — a great time
  11. kid — to tease
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. shower — rain
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rock — a stone
  19. ball — a dance
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. kid — child

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