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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. rest — a break
  5. stock — shares
  6. land — to come down
  7. last — finally
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. stock — goods
  10. bear — the animal
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bear — the animal
  17. last — to go on
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. last — final
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. leaves — of a tree

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