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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. sharp — clever
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chest — a box
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. net — for catching
  8. track — a path
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. track — a song
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. net — after costs
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bore — to drill
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. track — to keep track
  23. net — in sport
  24. bore — to tire

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