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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. net — after costs
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. row — a line
  14. row — to paddle
  15. net — for catching
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. foot — a measure
  19. net — in sport
  20. mate — a friend
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. saw — the tool

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