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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. ground — the earth
  4. chest — of your body
  5. kid — to tease
  6. ground — crushed
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. ground — a position
  9. chest — a box
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. toast — bread
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. foot — a measure
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. craft — boats
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. vault — a safe
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — child

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