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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. wind — moving air
  5. roll — a list
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bound — obliged
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. roll — a cake
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bound — tied together
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bound — certain
  24. cell — a phone

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