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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: club · mouse · hide · fine · bay · cold · spell · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. club — a group
  6. chest — a box
  7. fine — high quality
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. spell — magic
  16. fine — all right
  17. club — for dancing
  18. chest — of your body
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. club — for golf
  22. cold — not warm
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. hide — animal skin

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