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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. court — for sport
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. lean — to bend
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. court — of a king
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. chest — of your body
  13. content — happy
  14. lean — thin
  15. bear — the animal
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. drill — the tool
  19. court — of law
  20. chest — a box
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. content — the amount
  23. drill — army training
  24. rest — what's left

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