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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. chest — of your body
  8. prune — to trim
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bank — for money
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. prune — to trim
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. tube — the underground
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bank — for money
  22. tube — a container
  23. bank — of a river
  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