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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pop — music
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cue — for pool
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bore — to drill
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pop — to visit
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. pop — soda
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. chest — a box
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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