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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. bay — a part of the sea
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lie — to recline
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. object — to protest
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pop — music
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. object — an aim
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. shower — to wash
  13. cell — a phone
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cell — in biology
  17. pop — soda
  18. shower — rain
  19. object — a thing
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pop — to visit
  23. racket — for tennis
  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