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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bulb — for light
  6. kick — in football
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. season — of the year
  9. object — a thing
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. chest — of your body
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. bulb — for light
  21. season — in sport
  22. roll — a list
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. roll — on a roll

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