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

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. court — of law
  5. drill — army training
  6. court — for sport
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. drill — a practice
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. court — of a king
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. drill — the tool
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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