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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bass — low music
  4. fine — all right
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cold — not warm
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. fine — high quality
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. charge — a price
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. charge — in control
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cold — an illness
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. charge — electricity
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bay — a horse colour

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