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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · foot · firm · chest · bay · lean · rash · nail

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. firm — steady
  6. chest — of your body
  7. firm — decided
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. lean — thin
  13. firm — a company
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — a box
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — hasty
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lean — to rest against

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