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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 120 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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. saw — the tool
  5. club — a group
  6. can — a tin
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. spell — letters
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. can — a tin
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. spell — magic
  23. can — to be able to
  24. saw — the tool

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