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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. present — the time now
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. present — there
  12. rush — hurry
  13. band — a music group
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. wake — a trail
  16. band — a ring
  17. present — a gift
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. chest — of your body
  22. squash — to crush
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. chest — a box

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