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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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468
Word bank
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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bass — the fish
  7. chest — a box
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. chest — of your body
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bass — low music
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. snap — to click
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wound — an injury

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