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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. scale — in music
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — soda
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pop — music
  13. chair — a leader
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. scale — size or range
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. cell — a phone
  22. snap — to click
  23. cell — in biology
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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