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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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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: tube · arm · bay · swing · hide · fine · bulb · chest

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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. arm — part of the body
  3. tube — a container
  4. swing — in golf
  5. chest — of your body
  6. fine — all right
  7. swing — to play on
  8. tube — the underground
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — a box
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bulb — for light
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bulb — for light
  19. swing — music
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. tube — in a tire

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