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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wind — moving air
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. land — to come down
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. land — a country
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. land — ground
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bay — a horse colour

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