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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. chest — of your body
  3. track — a path
  4. track — a song
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. chest — a box
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bulb — for light
  22. track — to keep track
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. perch — the fish

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