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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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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. file — a document
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. mug — a face
  5. board — a committee
  6. mug — to rob
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. file — a tool
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. capital — a city
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. board — to get on
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. file — a line of people
  21. capital — money
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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