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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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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: rock · bear · bay · object · kick · foot · cabinet · chest

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. chest — a box
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. chest — of your body
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. object — to protest
  9. rock — music
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — a measure
  12. kick — in football
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bear — the animal
  15. object — an aim
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rock — a stone
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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