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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. present — a gift
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. present — the time now
  12. chest — a box
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bound — certain
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bound — tied together
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bound — obliged
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. face — to confront
  23. present — there
  24. stem — to come from

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