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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: sharp · mouse · bay · face · rash · cell · ball · chest

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. chest — a box
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cell — in biology
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. face — to confront
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a great time
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rash — a series
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. face — part of the head
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cell — a phone
  23. chest — of your body
  24. sharp — clever

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