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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. plane — a tool
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rock — a stone
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rock — music
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. chest — of your body
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. chest — a box
  16. lie — to recline
  17. kid — to tease
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. can — a tin
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. lie — an untruth

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