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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bore — to tire
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. spell — letters
  14. march — music
  15. bore — to drill
  16. spell — magic
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. game — a match

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