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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. fall — the season
  6. mate — a friend
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. chair — a leader
  9. mate — a partner
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. fall — to drop
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. chest — of your body
  17. board — to get on
  18. fall — to drop
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chest — of your body
  21. board — a committee
  22. sharp — clever
  23. lean — thin
  24. chair — a professorship

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