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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. ball — a great time
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. chest — of your body
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. chest — a box
  9. key — the most important part
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. key — in music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. ball — a dance
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. chest — of your body
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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