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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 120 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. chip — to eat
  5. sharp — clever
  6. cell — a phone
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. swing — in golf
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. swing — music
  14. chest — a box
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. lean — to bend
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. cell — in biology
  20. chest — of your body
  21. swing — to play on
  22. lean — thin
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bay — a horse colour

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