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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's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. dip — to sink
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. lean — thin
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chest — a box
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mark — a grade
  16. chest — of your body
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mark — a trace
  20. fall — the season
  21. lean — to bend
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. chest — of your body

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