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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. object — an aim
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. chest — of your body
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. club — for dancing
  7. present — there
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — army training
  11. face — to point toward
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. club — a group
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — a thing
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. present — the time now
  18. face — to confront
  19. present — a gift
  20. face — part of the head
  21. club — for golf
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. chest — of your body
  24. drill — the tool

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