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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: cabinet · chest · mark · current · bore · bay · lean · lie

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. current — happening now
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. chest — a box
  7. lean — thin
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. current — of water
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mark — a trace
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. current — electric
  18. bore — to tire
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bore — to drill

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