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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. kid — child
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. cue — a hint
  8. wake — a trail
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. kid — to tease
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. cue — for pool
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cue — a signal
  24. nail — for a hammer

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