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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. chest — a box
  8. mine — for digging
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. foot — a measure
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bulb — for light
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bear — the animal
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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