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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. chest — of your body
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. mug — a face
  10. shower — rain
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. chest — a box
  14. suit — in cards
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. shower — to wash
  18. mug — to rob
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ground — the earth
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rash — hasty
  23. suit — clothes
  24. ground — a position

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