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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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. bay — a part of the sea
  4. hand — help
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. season — in sport
  7. hand — in cards
  8. row — to paddle
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. season — of the year
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. lean — to bend
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. lean — thin
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. row — a line
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. row — a quarrel

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