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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. pop — soda
  6. chest — a box
  7. lean — thin
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pop — to visit
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bound — tied together
  12. fork — in a road
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bound — obliged
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bound — certain
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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