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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. hand — in cards
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. can — a tin
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. hand — help
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. can — a tin
  13. mine — for digging
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mark — a trace
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. can — to be able to
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. chest — a box
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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