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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. mate — a friend
  4. rock — music
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. vault — a safe
  7. kid — child
  8. face — part of the head
  9. kid — to tease
  10. chest — a box
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. face — to confront
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mate — a partner
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rock — a stone
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bay — a horse colour

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