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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. drill — a practice
  5. chest — a box
  6. cap — of ice
  7. wake — a trail
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wind — moving air
  11. lean — thin
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. cap — a lid
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. drill — army training
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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