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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · hand · bowl · cold · lean · bay · fan · chest

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mug — a cup
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. mug — to rob
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. cold — an illness
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. lean — to bend
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. hand — help
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lean — thin
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mug — a face
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bowl — a dish

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