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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. chest — a box
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. band — a music group
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. hand — help
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. chest — of your body
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hand — in cards
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. band — a ring

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