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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bound — tied together
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — the season
  8. key — the most important part
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bound — certain
  15. chest — a box
  16. prune — to trim
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. key — in music
  20. spring — of water
  21. chest — of your body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bound — obliged

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