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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. object — an aim
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chest — a box
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — rain
  14. object — to protest
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. object — a thing
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. chest — of your body
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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