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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. fine — all right
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. track — to keep track
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. current — of water
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. track — a path
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. current — happening now
  14. fine — high quality
  15. can — a tin
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. current — electric
  18. kid — to tease
  19. lean — thin
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. lean — to bend
  22. can — to be able to
  23. track — a song
  24. can — a tin

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