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

Word bank: kid · chest · cap · bay · scale · lean · pit · bore

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  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. chest — a box
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a hole
  6. scale — size or range
  7. cap — of ice
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — child
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. kid — to tease
  13. cap — a lid
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bore — to tire
  16. scale — in music
  17. bore — to drill
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. chest — of your body
  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